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Ten years' Environmental Medical Information Bulletin (UMID)

03/2002, 13.02.2002

Links between the environment and health presented clearly and comprehensibly

Joint Press Release from the Federal Institute for Radiation Protection (BfS), the Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV), the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA)

Up to date and realistic: the Environmental Medical Information Bulletin (UMID) launched in 1992 regularly provides clear and comprehensible information on the complex links between the environment and health. It has become a fixture for public authorities and institutions involved in the environment and health, for doctors and for other experts in environmental medicine. For two years it has been published jointly by the Federal Institute for Radiation Protection (BfS), the Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV), the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA). Thanks to this cooperation the range of subjects could be considerably extended. UMID currently has a print run of 1,200 per issue. It can be accessed on the Internet on www.umweltbundesamt.de.

The first Environmental Medical Information Bulletin was launched by the Institute for Water, Soil and Air Hygiene of the former Federal Health Office (BGA). The author of the first issue described the UMID as an "attempt to establish a close link between all those working in the Public Health Service". The UMID took on a new dimension with the "Action Programme Environment and Health" (APUG) which was published in 1999 by the Federal Ministries for the Environment and Health. Within the framework of APUG a coordination group consisting of representatives of the four supreme public authorities BfS, BgVV, RKI and UBA was set up. Since January 2000 each of these institutions has had a scientist on the editorial board of UMID.

Through the participation of the four supreme public authorities in the editorial board it was possible to extend the range of contributions and to clarify the many links between the environment and health. The articles in the UMID are based, amongst other things, on the latest research findings and reports on environment risk factors and health disorders. The contents include general articles, commentaries, instructions, information and short reports on events, reviews and answers to questions from daily practice. Its declared goal is to reach a broad spectrum of readers with clear and comprehensible contributions.

Four issues of UMID are published every year. They are distributed free of charge to interested members of the general public, public authorities and institutions involved in the environment and health, to doctors and other experts working in the field of environmental medicine. Distribution is being undertaken to an increasing degree electronically to cut back costs; this makes it easier to distribute the Environmental Medical Information Bulletin to new circles.

MID can be ordered by sending the full details of the recipient to the editorial office (marianne.reppold@uba.de).

On www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-daten/daten/umweltmedizinischer-informationsdienst.htm all issues since January 2000 can be accessed on the Internet. Copies can also be ordered electronically from the Environmental Medical Information Forum (UmInfo-Intranet). They can be accessed through www.uminfo.de. Under "Literatur" all issues of UMID since 1998 are available. Further information on UMID can, of course, also be obtained from the editorial office at the above-mentioned mailing address or from the relevant supreme federal authorities.

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