New public health law this year

Malta will next March host the pre-conference meeting for the ministerial conference on environment and health, which will discuss "The future of our children", Health Minister Louis Deguara said.

Addressing a regional committee meeting of the World Health Organisation in Austria, Dr Deguara said Malta had always supported and actively participated in WHO programmes and initiatives.

It was actively working in the field of mental health to empower mentally ill individuals to regain their human dignity by improving their socio-economic conditions. This was being achieved through the provision of sheltered work and accommodation. De-stigmatisation of affected individuals also remained a high priority on the government's agenda.

He said Malta was one of six countries participating in an ongoing project on the economic evaluation of transport-related health effects and would be hosting the concluding workshop early next year.

The Maltese government, Dr Deguara said, also looked forward to early ratification and implementation of the Protocol on Water and Health. This would be possible with the enactment of a new Public Health Act later this year, which would bring local legislation in full compliance with the protocol.

Malta also looked forward to contributing further to the drafting of the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe.