Institutional lessons learned in environmental health programs

During the last four years, the Environmental Health Project (EHP) has been engaged in a wide range of environmental health activities, many of which have had an institutional component. While some were specifically designated as institutional development activities, a number of them were focused primarily on health problems such as diarrheal disease, dengue fever, or lead poisoning. Activities which focus on health are also dependent on institutional conditions and call for attention to the institutional settings within which improvements in health can take place. In implementing those activities, EHP has acquired significant experience in recognizing or fostering the types of institutional relationships needed to address environmental health issues. This report summarizes six case studies; it also draws on evidence from a sample of environmental health efforts undertaken by other donor agencies. The purpose of this report is to identify lessons learned about institutional roles and responsibilities in environmental health when health improvement is the goal.