The environment in global health governance: an analysis of environment-related resolutions adopted at the World Health Assembly from 1948 to 2023

Article Article scientifique Article The environment in global health governance: an analysis of environment-related resolutions adopted at the World Health Assembly from 1948 to 2023 eng 2025-02 author Evrard Mylan Edmond 899021 author Rieckhoff Alicia 937446 author Shipton Leah author Jørgensen Peter Søgaard author Falcone Jean-Luc 0000-0003-0748-6069 502912 Département d'informatique (DINFO) author Bouffanais Roland 0000-0002-2507-4642 736937 Département d'informatique (DINFO) author Chopard Bastien 22320 Département d'informatique (DINFO) author Levrat Nicolas 23078 Département de droit international public et organisation internationale (INPU1) author Wernli Didier 0000-0002-1751-1961 525223 Département d'informatique (DINFO) e103-e113 10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00311-5 2542-5196 https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2542519624003115 Background: The concept of planetary health underscores the intricate relationship between environmental concerns and global health. This interconnection raises an important question related to cross-sectoral policy development: to what extent are environmental issues integrated into global health governance? To address this question, this study examines resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) from 1948 to 2023. Methods: Based on a systematic text search for environmental issues, this study examines the evolution of the occurrence and content of resolutions adopted by the WHA and the structure and pattern of connectivity of the normative network of resolutions regarding environment-related resolutions from 1948 to 2023. Environment-related resolutions were processed in the Python environment using relevant packages, such as Pandas, Numpy, and Matplotlib. Regular expressions were employed to identify citations among resolutions and construct a directed citation network. The network was then examined using NetworkX and Graph-Tool. Findings: Despite important variations in the attention dedicated to environmental issues in resolutions adopted by the WHA, the proportion of environment-related resolutions adopted each year has increased. The number of topics and their diversity have also expanded. Although environment-specific resolutions are well connected to each other, they are more weakly connected to environment-related resolutions, and not well connected to non-environment-related resolutions, suggesting potential silos in policy development. This study shows that several topical entry points exist for a deeper integration of environmental concerns in global health governance. Interpretation: The findings of this study indicate not only the growing reference to environmental concerns in global health governance, but also an evolution of the understanding of the environment as a key driver of the health of the people. However, there remains room for more comprehensive integration across all areas of global health policy. The study emphasises both the need for active participation in global environmental governance processes that affect health and the importance of minimising the health sector's contribution to environmental problems. Dewey 320 Dewey 025.063 24 Global Studies Institute 0DJ 32 Département d'informatique 18 13 Centre universitaire d'informatique 0D3 false 34b8bce4-f7fc-44bc-99ba-984f0660aa38 Science in Diplomacy Lab The Lancet. Planetary health 9 2 a01b40cc-a915-47cb-8f8d-132336cdc978 Article (Published version) Public 1-s2.0-S2542519624003115-main.pdf 973193 application/pdf CC BY-4.0 c19754eb68df5f4232a5595c93d84dbcaa33d0a8615ea558a1968b4c6ac41457 openAccess Centres et instituts / Global Studies Institute Faculté des sciences / Département d'informatique Centres et instituts / Centre universitaire d'informatique

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The environment in global health governance: an analysis of environment-related resolutions adopted at the World Health Assembly from 1948 to 2023	The Lancet. Planetary health			2025	141	345

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Evrard, Mylan Edmond