The health impacts of environmental risk factors - inadequate water and sanitation, unsafe home and recreational environments, lack of spatial planning for physical activity, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and hazardous chemicals - are amplified by recent developments such as financial constraints, broader socioeconomic and gender inequalities and more frequent extreme climate events. They pose new challenges for health systems to reduce deaths and diseases through effective environmental health interventions.

The Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, organized by WHO/Europe and hosted by Italy, is the next milestone in the European environment and health process, now in its twentieth year. Focused on protecting children's health in a changing environment, the Conference will drive Europe's agenda on emerging environmental health challenges for the years to come.