Human health and development are dependent on healthy ecosystems. Yet, global ecosystems continue to deteriorate under increasing pressure from human development activities and patterns of consumption. Thus, the need is urgent to understand the linkages among public health, ecosystems, and social and economic conditions. The need to devise interventions to reconnect people and ecosystems to protect both is our goal.

The quest for healthy ecosystems and sustainable human health requires innovative thinking across disciplines and professions. New research and policy partnerships, community participation and empowerment, and more effective and integrated mechanisms for communicating concerns in the public interest are needed.

In December 2008, in Mérida, México, the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) of México will host the International EcoHealth Forum 2008 in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada), the International Association for Ecology and Health (IAEH), the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil (FIOCRUZ), the Institute of Ecological Research, Brazil (IPÊ), and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny of the University of São Paulo, Brazil (USP). The Forum will promote research, theory and practice internationally to consolidate the growing community of researchers, policy-makers, and civil society representatives. It will bring a better understanding of the holistic links between ecosystems and human health and the identification of pathways for more sustainable action and interventions. The role of transdisciplinary approaches towards discovery and sustainable solutions will be emphasized throughout.

IEF 2008 will showcase evidence of theory and practice regarding our dependence on ecosystem health. Evidence of the impact of social and ecological changes on the global environment and, in turn, on human health will, be discussed among the Forum’s delegates. Special emphasis will be placed on EcoHealth research in developing countries, fostering exchanges of lessons learned between developing and developed countries.

Conference participants – researchers, policy-makers and practitioners – will learn how project outcomes have been used by other policy-makers, stakeholders and community representatives to effect improvements in ecosystem management, disease prevention and environmental protection. Experiences with research and practice, including methodological gaps, as well as opportunities for intervention and policy development will be presented. Renewing and establishing networks will further our capacities to continue promoting healthy ecosystems and, in turn, healthy people.

Conference delegates are invited to plan now to contribute with paper, video, other media, and oral presentations to the development of new approaches and ideas in EcoHealth by being active participants in IEF 2008.

For more information, contact the INSP Coordinator, Ana Chavez at ana.chavez@insp.mx

The abstract submission system will be open on March 1st, 2008 (electronic submissions only). Please see the Abstracts section for abstract submission guidelines.