I medici sentinella per una efficace sorveglianza ambientale e sanitaria

Abstract

[Sentinel general practitioner as a key element for an effective environmental health surveillance]

The concepts of Epidemiological Surveillance and Environmental Public Health (EPHT) are outlined. In addition to the clues of their importance in different settings, it is claimed their usefulness in view of a sustainable, healthy and competitive society where environment and health are pillars of wellbeing and productivity, especially in a time of socio-economic and even cultural crisis.

Public-health decision makers can use this timely, accurate and systematic data to inform and draft policies that reduce environmental health burdens and prevent disease efficiently and cost-effectively. Indeed tracking can also support the response to increasing community concern about point sources of pollution (e.g. incinerators and landfill sites) and also contributes to the statutory obligations of several member states around environment and health surveillance.

Surveillance systems might enhance collaboration among public health and environmental agencies, health-care providers, information-system professionals, academic investigators, and industry. However, surveillance does not substitute direct physician reporting of unusual or suspect cases of public health importance.

As matter of fact many experiences of Sentinel General Practitioner have been carried all around the world, and also in Italy some relevant experiences have proven the importance of the information, competencies and prestige also in the field of Environmental-Health which General Practitioners are universally reputed to hold.

Some proposal are provided to settle a National network of Environmental Health Sentinel Practitioner.