The European Centre for Environment and Human Health is a designated WHO Collaborating Centre on Natural Environments and Health, recognising the Centre’s significant contribution to science and policy-making as a result of more than a decade of interdisciplinary research.

Our activities as a WHO Collaborating Centre focus on supporting the WHO Regional Office for Europe in the following areas of work:

• The compilation of evidence on natural resources, environment and health, providing reports and training workshops to share knowledge;
• Raising awareness and providing technical input to support policy development in natural resources, environments and health through workshops, reports and presentations;
• Developing concepts and criteria appropriate for establishing priorities in environment and health research.

The designation is based on a history of collaboration between the University of Exeter and the World Health Organisation, and aims to solidify efforts to develop capacities and support functions on natural environments and health across the WHO European region.

Our partnership has led to several recent publications:

• Assessing the value of urban green and blue spaces for health and well-being. WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2023. Read in full here.
• Nature, Biodiversity and Health: An overview of interconnections. WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2021.  Read in full here.
• Pathways linking biodiversity to human health: A conceptual framework. Marselle et al., 2021. Access here.
• Environmental Health Research: Identifying the Context and the Needs, and Choosing Priorities. Morris et al., 2020. Read in full here.
• The BlueHealth Toolbox – Guidance for urban planners and designers. Grellier et al., 2020. Read in full here.
• Environmental, health, wellbeing, social and equity effects of urban green space interventions: A meta-narrative evidence synthesis. Hunter et al., 2019. Access here.
• Urban green spaces: a brief for action. WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2017. Read in full here.

Throughout our tenure as a WHO Collaborating Centre, our researchers have worked with colleagues at the WHO European Centre for Environmental Health in Bonn, Germany, to highlight the importance of nature and biodiversity and their impacts on human health and well-being. The aim is to support individuals and organisations across the 53 member states of the WHO European Region in making evidence-based decisions, as well as providing concrete relevant examples of best practices and resources.

“Through our valuable partnership with the ECEHH, WHO Europe has gained data and evidence that can shape healthier communities. In modern times, access to nature is a significant concern for promoting and maintaining human health and well-being. The whole European Region benefits from ECEHH’s pioneering efforts to understand the way nature affects us and our health.”

Matthias Braubach, World Health Organisation, Europe.