THIS BOOK IS an assessment of the state of knowledge on the links between the environment and the health of women and children. It also seeks to identify critical gaps in knowledge and the research needed to fill these, and provides policy options, guidelines, possible interventions and regulatory tools for improving the health of women and children.

The text includes a review of scientific literature and policy documents. This highlights some important epidemiological studies and case studies that seek to address specific health problems. Chapters 2 to 5 deal with the following issues: housing, fuel shortages and indoor pollution, water supply and sanitation, and nutritional status. Chapter 2 reviews the key policy and research trends that have helped define the relationship between housing and health in low- and middle-income countries. After a review of the current analytical framework in this area, the chapter concludes that there is a need for an alternative formulation and a new research agenda in this area. Gender issues are a strong component in this study, and the book provides examples of how social and political backgrounds determine women’s activity patterns at home and at work, and how this affects their health. The book ends with recommendations for interventions and suggests that there is a need to modify current environmental regulatory tools and policies to achieve sustainable health improvements for women and children.