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Infographic Text: Investing in Health and the Environment Saves Lives, Saves Money

The problem

[icons of brain, lung, and heart]

Environmental exposures contribute to conditions across the lifespan including: Asthma, poor pregnancy outcomes, heart disease, cancer, ADHD, dementia and more.

Health conditions in children caused by environmental exposures (e.g. lead and mercury) cost $93 billion in health care expenses in the U.S. in 2020

The solution

The National Environmental Health Partnership Council fosters conversation and evidence-based solutions to ensure healthy environments across the U.S. The following actions support a healthy environment for all:

PREVENTION
Strengthen protections for healthy environments by enabling federal, state, local and tribal governments to promote resilient, equitable and healthy communities

RESPONSE
Measure environmentally related disease outcomes
Fund and support peer-reviewed research

REAL-LIFE SOLUTIONS
Strengthen the environmental health workforce
Educate the public to make informed decisions that prevent and reduce exposures

THE PROOF

[outline of lungs]

Every dollar spent on asthma interventions in the U.S. saves $71 in health care costs.

Lead hazard control in the U.S. saves $192 billion to $272 billion in medical treatment, lost earnings, tax revenue, special education, lead-linked ADHD cases and criminal activity.

NEPHC's VISION

All families across the U.S. have access to clean air and water, healthy foods, safe products and healthy homes, schools, parks, workplaces and communities.

[people in outdoor park with birds flying overhead, backdrop of Washington, D.C. skyline, American flag]

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL

[photo of 21 council members]

Established in 2011, the National Environmental Health Partnership Council is a consortium of leadership from nearly 20 nation public health and environmental health organizations. They meet bi-annually to advance the field of environmental health and represent its many facets: protecting children and the public from environmental exposures; building the capacity of environmental health professionals; and strengthening the education-to-workforce pipeline.

The Council’s most notable recent reports include:

The Environmental Health Playbook: Investing in a Robust Environmental Health System
Making the case for healthy environments for all across the United States.

The Value of Environmental Health Service: Exploring the Evidence
A literature review of the return on investment of Environmental Health Services.

[logos of council member organizations: Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs, American Lung Association, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Public Health Association, Association of Public Health Laboratories, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Children's Environmental Health Network, Health & Environmental Funders Network, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Environmental Health Association, National Resources Defense Council, National Center for Healthy Housing, Pediatric Environmental Health Speciality Units, Trust for America's Health, WE ACT for Environmental Justice]

For further information and resources about the NEHPC visit: /topics-and-issues/environmental-health/ partners/national-environmental-health-partnership-council

This project is supported by cooperative agreement U38OT000294 between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Public Health Association. The contents of this document are solely the responsibility of the National Environmental Partnership Council and do not necessarily represent the offcial views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the American Public Health Association.