Romanian President warns public health is faced with increasing threats

Newsroom 22/07/2016 | 12:04

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said the health of the individual and the heath of the environment are inter-connected and that authorities must act to ensure the health of the population.

“The health of the individual can no longer be separated from the health of the environment. Recent examples are illustrative of that. From Zika virus infections to diseases called by unchecked foods, we are facing more and more threats that have an impact on public health,” said Iohannis quoted by Agerpres newswire, during a debate on environment health policies in Romania.

He emphasized that health must be taken into account in all the measures taken by the authorities.

“If we want a healthy population, if we want more safety in public health and a prosperous society, the answer is simple: health must be taken into account in all policies. This requires an integrated and cross-disciplinary approach that does not concern only the health of the individual or that the population, but that of the ecosystem,” said Iohannis, quoted by Agerpres.

Iohannis added that there is no time to waste, given that there is increasing pressure on the environment and the health of the population. “I believe it is time to act now. with such an integrated approach, in order to anticipate the challenges of the future, including those related to the demographic evolution,” he said, quoted by Agerpres.