Children’s Environmental Health Summit

In 2016, ACAT hosted a Children's Environmental Health Summit in Anchorage, Alaska. The summit brought together scientists, Alaska Native Tribal and community leaders, health care professionals, policy makers, parents, students, teachers, and children’s advocates to discuss the latest science and develop recommendations to protect the health of children at the top of the world.

Community and national experts presented cutting edge scientific research, environmental health policy initiatives, and case studies, including:

· Rosemary Ahtuangaruak - Inupiaq Tribal Leader

· Ruth Etzel, MD, PhD - Director, Office of Children's Health Protection, EPA

· Symma Finn, PhD - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

· Allison Kelliher, MD - Southcentral Foundation

· Maureen Swanson, MPA - Learning Disabilities Association of America and Co-Coordinator of Targeting Environmental Neurodevelopmental Risks (Project TENDR)

· Lisa Wade - Council Member, Director of Health, Education, & Social Services, Chickaloon Village Traditional Council

Health care professionals, policy makers, parents, students, and community members discussed opportunities for improving the health of current and future generations of Alaskan children and created recommendations for change in the areas of education, policy reform, research and prevention. These findings were published in a 2017 report entitled State of the Science: Children’s Environmental Health in Alaska and the Circumpolar North and presented on a CHE-Alaska webinar.

CEH 2016 Report front page

State of the Science: Children’s Environmental Health in Alaska and the Circumpolar North - Click here for a PDF of the report.

Recordings of the entire two days of presentations and discussion.

2016 Children's Environmental Health Summit - Opening Remarks

Lee Stephan, First Chief, Native Village of Eklutna

Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, Anchorage, and

Pamela Miller, Executive Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics

 

First Plenary: Our Children, Our Future - Health Disparities Among Alaska's Children

Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, Inupiaq Tribal Leader, Former Village Health Aide Allison Kelliher, Tribal Doctor MD, Family and Integrative Medicine, Southcentral Foundation

Vi Waghiyi, Native Village of Savoonga and Environmental Health and Justice Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics

Lisa Wade, Council Member/Director of Health, Education, & Social Services, Nay'dini'aa Na'

Second Plenary: Opportunities and Initiatives to Protect the Health and Environment of Children - Collaboration in Research and Policy 

0:00 - Ruth Etzel, MD, PhD, Director, Office of Children’s Health Protection, Environmental Protection Agency

19:05 - Nica Louie, National Center for Environmental Research, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

33:07 - Kimberly Gray, PhD, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (remote presentation)

47:35 - Maureen Swanson, MPA, Learning Disabilities Association of America and Co-Director of Targeting Environmental Neurodevelopmental Risks (Project TENDR)

1:00:52 - Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, MPH, Executive Director, Children’s Environmental Health Network

Respiratory Health Crisis - A Case Study from Fairbanks

Patrice Lee, Citizens for Clean Air, Fairbanks, Alaska

Third Plenary: Science to Action - Creating a Broad-Based Movement for the Protection of Future Generations

Charlotte Brody, RN, National Coordinator, Healthy Babies Bright Futures and Vice President of Health Initiatives, BlueGreen Alliance

Fourth Plenary: State of the Science - Endocrine Disruption and Birth Defects

02:12 - Carol Kwiatkowski, PhD, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange

22:07 - David Carpenter, MD, Director, Institute for Health and the Environment University at Albany

41:40 - Vi Waghiyi, Native Village of Savoonga and Environmental Health and Justice Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics

53:40 - Panel Discussion / Q&A

Fifth Plenary: State of the Science – Childhood Cancer

01:10 - Richard Clapp, DSc, MPH, Boston University

23:09 - Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, Inupiaq Tribal Leader, Former Village Health Aide

36:45 - Panel Discussion / Q&A

Sixth Plenary: Tools for Environmental Health Investigations

02:12 - Madeleine Scammell, PhD, Boston University

First Plenary (Day 2): State of the Science – Neurodevelopment 

Philippe Grandjean, MD, Harvard School of Public Health (remote presentation)

Donna Erickson, Mother and Tribal Member from Unalakleet

Second Plenary (Day 2): Engaging Healthcare Professionals in Policy Actions to Protect Children’s Health

Katie Huffling, RN, CNM, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environment

Third Plenary (Day 2): Protecting Future Generations -The Need to Address Historical Trauma

Lisa Ellanna, Director, Kawerak Katirvik Cultural Center, Nome

Kathy Sanchez, Environmental Health and Justice Program Manager, TEWA Women United

Creating Consensus for the Protection of Children’s Environmental Health

Elise Miller, MEd, Director, Collaborative on Health and the Environment Vi Waghiyi, Native Village of Savoonga Tribal Member and Environmental Health and Justice Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics

Reports from Working Groups, Final Recommendations, and Closing Remarks

Thank you for your generous support!