The Infants' Environmental Health Program (ISA) is a research-outreach-teaching program carried out mainly in the Huetar Atlántica region, Costa Rica, coordinated by the Central American Institute of Studies on Toxic Substances of the Universidad Nacional (IRET-UNA), Costa Rica, in collaboration with researchers from the University of North Carolina and California in Berkeley, United States and Lund University, Sweden, among other entities.
Applying an ecosystem approach to human health (EcoSalud)1:
1. We study environmental exposure to pesticides and manganese and its effects on the health of children and their mothers; 2. We study what factors can explain pesticide exposures, and what possible alternatives exist for their use; 3. We promote collaborative actions to reduce contact with contaminants and mitigate their possible effects; 4. We perform outreach and teaching activities.
The collaborative project 'International Training in Environmental Health over the Lifespan' is attached to the program, a collaboration between the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, United States and ISA-IRET-UNA that offers training opportunities and scholarships. research to occupational, environmental and public health professionals. More information about scholarships and courses
1 1 Studies with ecosystem approaches in human health seek to understand which factors affect the health and well-being of human beings and the environment, analyzing socio-environmental interactions as part of a complex system, to promote positive changes.
Vision
"The inhabitants of the Huetar Atlántica region have a better quality of life, particularly children, and are less exposed to the risks associated with the use of pesticides on human health and the environment".
Mission
"Contribute to the improvement of the health of the inhabitants of the Huetar Atlántica region through the analysis of the impact of pesticides on the child population and the promotion of alternatives to the use of pesticides within their social context, in a participatory manner and respecting environmental, equity and gender principles ".