The Public Health Coalition (PHC) believes that every resident of Israel has the right to breathe clean air, live in a healthy environment and influence the conduct of the government in the area where he or she lives.
The Public Health Coalition works to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by environmental pollution by influencing governmental policy; raising public and stakeholder awareness; pressuring the authorities to enforce the law on emission of pollutants and promoting research and professional expertise in this field.
Our activity is focused in Northern Israel and the Haifa Bay area which suffers from long-term industrial pollution and elevated morbidity and mortality in comparison to the rest of the country.
Background and establishment
Israel is a small, densely populated, highly industrialized country with manufacturing and transportation centers located adjacent to and within populated areas (residential neighborhoods, public institutions and schools). Most industries have not modernized their processes to implement the cleanest technologies currently available.
Israel suffers from higher levels of environmental pollution (air, soil and water) than many developed countries. The combination of the proximity of people to pollution sources and the use of less-than-the-best technology results in increased incidence of serious diseases of the heart and lungs as well as numerous cancers.
The PHC began operating in 2001 and became a registered NGO in 2005. We have close ties with environmental and social organizations and we provide them with professional knowledge, especially regarding air and soil pollution.
Staff
• Five paid employees: CEO, air quality expert, environmental epidemiologist, director of fund-raising, web content coordinator
• Three professional consultants: a physical chemist, a soil specialist and a mechanical engineer. All of them are full-time volunteers
• Teams of professionals specializing in various fields: industry, hazardous materials and planning, all of whom contribute several hours a week
• Dozens of activists for the PHC and member organizations who are active in Haifa and Northern Israel
