Ecosystems and human well-being: health synthesis

It is becoming increasingly clear that population growth and economic development are leading to rapid changes in our global ecosystems. In recognition of this, the United Nations’ Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a 2000 report to the General Assembly entitled "We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century," called for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to be undertaken. Since 2001, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment has worked to assess the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being, and establish the scientific basis for actions needed to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of those systems, so that they can continue to supply the services that underpin all aspects of human life. This report represents a call to the health sector, not only to cure the diseases that result from environmental degradation, but also to ensure that the benefits that the natural environment provides to human health and well-being are preserved for future generations.