scholarly journals STRATEGIC NOISE MAPPING AND ACTION PLANNING. EXPERIENCE, PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
BORIS MIHAYLOV

Based on EU Noise Directive (END - Directive 2002/49/EC) since 2005 started an intensive noise mapping process in EU member states. Some of the countries had a significant tradition in creating noise maps in the past. The END set a new path, and aimed a harmonized global strategic approach to reduce the increasing environmental noise from major sources (causing heavy health impact to EU population).The author has a broad experience in last more than 5 years - creating noise maps and strategic noise plans, mainly in Bulgaria. In the recent paper is presented a short overview of obtained experience and related practical conclusions. The final aim is to determine exact dedicated action plans - based on the strategic noise management (restriction and reduction of the environmental noise impact), and applying set of measures and acoustical planning in short, middle and long terms. Key words:strategic noise map(s), action plan(s), environmental noise.

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (3) ◽  
pp. 3218-3222
Author(s):  
Jon Paul Faulkner ◽  
Enda Murphy

European Commission Directive (EU) 2020/367 describes how harmful effects from environmental noise exposure are to be calculated for ischemic heart disease (IHD), high annoyance (HA), and high sleep disturbance (HSD) for road, rail, and aircraft noise under the Environmental Noise Directive's (END) strategic noise mapping process. It represents a major development in understanding the extent of exposure from transport-based environmental noise given it is a legal requirement for all EU member states from the 2022 reporting round. It also has the potential to accelerate the development of stronger noise-health policies across the EU. While this development is to be welcomed, there are a number of basic noise-health policy applications that first need to be implemented in the Irish case if the noise-health situation is be accurately assessed and if public health is to be adequately protected. In order to address this requirement the following paper presents concrete policy and practice recommendations as well as an evaluation of the current application of noise management policy in Ireland which is administered to protect the public from the harmful effects of environmental noise. This paper provides guidance on how noise-health considerations can be integrated into key relevant areas of Irish policy including healthcare, the environment, transportation, and planning.


Author(s):  
Andrea Pődör ◽  
Szilard Szabó

Environmental noise affects life and health within urban environments through interfering with sleep, rest, study and personal communication. Noise mapping is an important issue of local authorities but due to its requirements (staff, costs and frequency), the available data are limited or outdated. Our aim was to involve people with smartphones in the mapping process and to determine the accuracy of the measurements performed with these devices in a natural environment. The main questions were whether the measured data were dependent on the type of applied software and smartphones. We tested three software (Noise Watch, Noise Meter and Sound Level Meter) and 12 different smartphones. We evaluated the measurements with hypothesis testing and correlation analysis. Although the accuracy of smartphones was below the professional equipment, measurements can be conducted easily due to their availability; thus, a reliability analysis is important. We found that comparison between professional devices and smartphones in a laboratory was misleading as it lacks the environmental factors biasing the measurements. The best method to compare the measurements carried out with smartphones and professional Noise Meters was to use large number of measuring points in a heterogenic outdoor environment where the noise ranged from the low to large values. We revealed that both the applied software and smartphones have relevant effect on the measurements, and, although it is possible to use these devices for noise mapping, one should consider not to apply different software and smartphones. Accordingly, crowdsourcing is not a reliable data collection method because: (1) measurements should be supervised, (2) smartphones’ accuracy should be tested and (3) measurement circumstances should be the same. If any of these requirements are violated, the quality of the resulting maps can be questioned.


2018 ◽  
Vol 159 (42) ◽  
pp. 1700-1709
Author(s):  
Krisztina Mikulás ◽  
Mercedes Linninger ◽  
Emőke Takács ◽  
Barbara Kispélyi ◽  
Katalin Nagy ◽  
...  

Abstract: Dental amalgam has been used for more than 150 years due to its beneficial mechanical properties and durability in dentistry. In the past and to date, many questions about amalgam restorations have arisen, especially regarding the mercury content, which has been the subject of global disputes. By presenting the past and present of the ‘amalgam issue’, the aim of our paper is to display the current position of international literature. This summary is based on the publications in the PubMed database, the guidelines of the Council of European Dentists. Although the use of dental amalgam is widespread, concerns have been raised about the adverse effect on human health and the environment, focusing on its heavy metal pollution during waste treatment. In 2017, the European Union (EU) adopted the so-called Mercury Regulation, based on the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury, the recommendations of which are presented in the present review. This Regulation includes the requirement for EU Member States to develop a national action plan for the phase-down of amalgam. The feasibility plan for complete phase-out may be guaranteed by 2030. The authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of possible amalgam alternatives by presenting glass-ionomers and resin-based composites. In the future, more material research programmes and long-term follow-up studies are necessary. In addition to several global health organizations, the Council of European Dentists also draws attention to prevent dental caries, expecting to reduce the number of restorations. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(42): 1700–1709.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 773
Author(s):  
Tatjana Fischer

The influence of spatial aspects on people’s health is internationally proven by a wealth of empirical findings. Nevertheless, questions concerning public health still tend to be negotiated among social and health scientists. This was different in the elaboration of the Austrian Action Plan on Women’s Health (AAPWH). On the example of the target group of older women, it is shown whether and to what extent the inclusion of the spatial planning perspective in the discussion of impact goals and measures is reflected in the respective inter-ministerial policy paper. The retrospective analysis on the basis of a document analysis of the AAPWH and qualitative interviews with public health experts who were also invited to join, or rather were part of, the expert group, brings to light the following key reasons for the high degree of spatial-related abstraction of the content of this strategic health policy paper: the requirement for general formulations, the lack of public and political awareness for the different living situations in different spatial archetypes, and the lack of external perception of spatial planning as a key discipline with regard to the creation of equivalent living conditions. Nonetheless, this research has promoted the external perception of spatial planning as a relevant discipline in public health issues in Austria. Furthermore, first thematic starting points for an in-depth interdisciplinary dialogue were identified.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Ioana Gherghescu ◽  
M. Begoña Delgado-Charro

Biosimilar medicines expand the biotherapeutic market and improve patient access. This work looked into the landscape of the European and US biosimilar products, their regulatory authorization, market availability, and clinical evaluation undergone prior to the regulatory approval. European Medicines Agency (EMEA, currently EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) repositories were searched to identify all biosimilar medicines approved before December 2019. Adalimumab biosimilars, and particularly their clinical evaluations, were used as a case study. In the past 13 years, the EMA has received 65 marketing authorization applications for biosimilar medicines with 55 approved biosimilars available in the EU market. Since the first biosimilar approval in 2015, the FDA has granted 26 approvals for biosimilars with only 11 being currently on the US market. Five adalimumab biosimilars have been approved in the EU and commercialized as eight different medicines through duplicate marketing authorizations. Whilst three of these are FDA-approved, the first adalimumab biosimilar will not be marketed in the US until 2023 due to Humira’s exclusivity period. The EU biosimilar market has developed faster than its US counterpart, as the latter is probably challenged by a series of patents and exclusivity periods protecting the bio-originator medicines, an issue addressed by the US’s latest ‘Biosimilar Action Plan’.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Sørensen ◽  
A Koylyu ◽  
B Mikkelsen

Abstract Background Grounded in the last decade's health literacy developments; the work of the European health literacy action networks on measurement and NCDs as well as the newly adopted European Health Literacy Roadmap and resolution agreed upon by their 53 Member States in 2019, the WHO European Region continues its investment in health literacy. A WHO European health literacy action plan is under development to be launched in 2021. The action plan implies concrete actions for Member States on how to develop health literate populations and societies. Methods Based on co-creation principles, the development of the action plan is conducted by stakeholders from a wide range of fields and disciplines. Lead by the WHO European Regional Office, the process includes an initial stakeholder meeting, iterative technical consultations with experts and the wider stakeholder community and Member State consultations. The analytical methods integrate a SWOT-analysis, future scenario thinking and long-sight action planning approaches as well as application of health literacy analytics. Results The results of the initial analytical steps will be presented such as the SWOT analysis, the future scenarios and associated recommendations on how to create health literate populations and societies in Europe. Additionally, the outline of the draft of the European health literacy action plan will be open for discussion and input. Conclusions Through an iterative process, the European health literacy action plan is co-produced by multiple actors through a series of consultations facilitating ownership and accountability. The European health literacy action plan can be an inspiration and a model for other world regions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (06) ◽  
pp. 184-189
Author(s):  
L. Gliesmann ◽  
A. Brückner

Die dritte Runde der Umgebungslärmrichtlinie 2002/49/EG [1] wird mit der Lärmkartierung 2017 und der aktuellen, in Schleswig-Holstein (SH) noch nicht vollständig abgeschlossenen Aufstellung der Lärmaktionspläne umgesetzt. Die Zuständigkeit für die Ausarbeitung der Lärmkarten und für die Aufstellung der Aktionspläne liegt in SH gemäß § 47 e Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz [2] bei den Gemeinden. Dem Land obliegt die Berichterstattung an die Bundesregierung.   The third round of the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/ ED [1] will be implemented with noise mapping 2017 and the current list of noise action plans, which has not yet been completed in Schleswig-Holstein (SH). The responsibility for the development of the noise maps and for the preparation of the action plans lies in SH according to § 47 e Federal Immission Control Act [2] in the municipalities. The country is responsible for the reporting to the Federal Government.


2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 326-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Lau

‘Delivering race equality’ is a 5-year action plan for tackling race inequalities in mental healthcare in England and Wales, based on the main themes of improved services, better community engagement and better information. The perception is that clinical teams have not been sufficiently engaged with the plan and progress is slow. This article shares insights from the author's work across government departments over the past 2 years and explores the potential for linking up different initiatives across the patient care pathway in support of the plan's delivery. A summary of conclusions from a pilot survey of consultant psychiatrists, commissioned by the Department of Health in June 2007, addresses the main controversial areas in the action plan, with suggestions for improvement. Areas for clinical engagement are identified that exploit new funding, investment and policy initiatives. Examples of good practice are offered.


Author(s):  
Jason M. Lang ◽  
Kellie G. Randall ◽  
Michelle Delaney ◽  
Jeffrey J. Vanderploeg

Over the past 20 years, efforts have been made to broadly disseminate evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, the public health impact of EBPs has yet to be realized and most EBPs are not sustained. Few structured models exist for disseminating and sustaining EBPs across large systems. This article describes the EBP Dissemination and Support Center (DSC) model and how it was used to sustain trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) across Connecticut. More than 600 clinicians at 35 agencies have been trained and nearly all agencies have sustained TF-CBT for up to 9 years. More than 6,200 children have received TF-CBT and have shown improvements in outcomes and quality indicators. Recommendations are made for using or adapting the DSC model.


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