Introduction Strategic Plan Research Bio-data of Officers Research Facilities Publications Contacts

INTRODUCTION The Environmental Health Research Centre (EHRC) was established in September 1996, with the re-designation of the Medical Ecology Division. Its formation was based on the recommendation from the “First National Conference on Environmental Health Research – State of the Art in Malaysia Today” and it received strong support from the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO). This Centre was established to conduct risk assessment and management of critical risk factors to prevent environmentally related health problems that arise from water, air and soil pollution.

The EHRC is located at the biomedical museum (which was constructed in 1928 and is today a heritage building)

The back portion of the building and the adjoining playing field

The thrust research areas of the EHRC are: to evaluate the environmental impact on health from such factors as air pollution and the haze; to determine the quality of drinking water, through establishing a National Drinking Water Quality Index (NDWQI); to study pesticides in food; microbial indicators in water; and recreational water quality. The Centre has also been involved in the evaluation of the WHO Healthy Workplaces Guidelines for implementation in Malaysian industries. The EHRC is venturing into Geographical Information Systems to assist in the surveillance of vector-borne diseases.

 

STRATEGIC PLAN

The EHRC began with a strategic plan (1996 - 2000) whereby the Centre forged to develop National Environmental Health Action Plan (NEHAP) principles that would help shape guidelines to apply locally, nationally and regionally. With its strategy to influence national NEHAP policy and research the processes of implementing policy locally, the EHRC hopes to serve as an EH clearinghouse among national and international collaborators thereby fulfilling its objective to be a harmonizing EH agency to: engage communities and manage environments; create a bridge between policy makers and practitioners; forge partnerships to promote healthy change; and promote Malaysia as an Earth Summit partner. The EHRC has a publication:

Environmental Health Focus - Managing the Environment for Health in the AsiaPacific. ISSN: 1675-3941 (between 1998 - 2000)

E-format: EH Focus

The EH Forum is held annually with selected themes; various stake-holders (i.e. government and NGOs) are invited to participate

Year 2000

Year 2008

 

RESEARCH FACILITIES

The EHRC has 6 laboratories capable of carrying out research in environmental health. The laboratories are as follows: Laboratory 1 & 2: Environmental Biotechnology; Laboratory 3: Environmental Parasitology/Microbiology; Laboratory 4: Environmental Toxicology (Analysis of Pesticides & Herbicides); Laboratory 5: Environmental Toxicology (EDCs & Other Chemical Pollutants); Laboratory 6: Environmental Toxicology (Basic Water Parameters & Heavy Metals); and Laboratory

 

CONTACT

environ1@imr.gov.my