Washington, D.C. February 9, 2007.

Dr. Howard Frumkin, Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registries (ATSDR) of the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), met Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, PAHO's Director. Dr. Luiz Galvao, PAHO's Sustainable Development & Environmental Health Area Manager, accompained the Director to the meeting.

At the meeting both directors reviewed important subjects of common interest between PAHO and the NCEH/ATSDR, institutions that have been working together for more than 15 years carrying out important projects of cooperation in the Region.

The development of the cooperation relationship among PAHO and the NCEH emerged as an initiative of the `Pan American Center for Human Ecology and Health` (Centro Panamericano de Ecología Humana y Salud (ECO). More recently PAHO and the NCEH have collaborated together with the Government of Panama in the identification of an unknown toxic agent which caused an emergency situation last year.Important environmental projects along the USA-Mexico border have also been undertaken.

On this occasion, PAHO and the NCEH joined efforts to consolidate and renew the agreement between both institutions, strengthening the interest of both parties to improve environmental health in the countries of the Region, while taking advantage of the resources available in the two institutions.

Dr. Frumkin invited Dr. Roses to visit the NCEH this year as part of the strengthening of this relationship.

Howard Frumkin, MD, MPH, DrPH, serves as director of the National Center for Environmental Health / ATSDR. NCEH/ATSDR works to maintain and improve the health of the American people by promoting a healthy environment and by preventing premature death and avoidable illness and disability caused by toxic substances and other environmental hazards. Read more

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