The lack of international and national health policies to protect persons with self-declared electromagnetic hypersensitivity

Abstract

The lack of international and national health policies to protect persons with self-declared electromagnetic hypersensitivity Leszczynski D. The lack of international and national health policies to protect persons with self-declared electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Rev Environ Health. 2022 Oct 26. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2022-0108. Abstract Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), known also as an idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF) or a microwave sickness, is not considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as being caused by the exposures to electromagnetic fields (EMF). EHS is not recognized as a disease anywhere in the world. Some studies have roughly estimated that 1-10% of the population might experience some form of EHS. However, because of the lack of diagnostic criteria for EHS, these estimates might be either under- or over-estimates. Because the vast majority of human population is exposed to EMF, the possibility of developing EHS from the EMF is a substantial public health issue that should be dealt with globally, even if the individual risk of developing EHS might be small. The WHO recognizes that the symptoms experienced by the EHS persons might be severe and might significantly hamper everyday life. However, after a broad analysis of international and national documents, there seems to be currently no effort to develop health policies for EHS, no matter what causes it. National governments, follow the opinions of the WHO and the EMF safety standards setting organizations, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (IEEE-ICES), are not developing any practical health policy advisories for self-declared EHS sufferers. However, symptoms experienced by the self-declared EHS persons affect their well-being and, according to the Constitution of the WHO, are a health problem. Hence, independently of what causes EHS symptoms, this admitted well-being- impairment should be dealt with globally by developing an uniform health policy. Furthermore, WHO, ICNIRP and IEEE-ICES should be advocating and supporting research that would generate reliable scientific evidence on what are the possible cause(s) of EHS. Without such research it is not possible to develop diagnostic methods as well as any possible mitigation approaches. There is an urgent need for the WHO to advocate for the national governments to urgently develop a comprehensive and common EHS health policy. Open access paper: degruyter.com

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

The article states that WHO does not consider EHS to be caused by EMF exposure and that EHS is not recognized as a disease anywhere. After analysis of international and national documents, it concludes there is currently no effort to develop health policies for EHS, and calls for WHO and national governments to develop a comprehensive, common EHS health policy and support research to establish causes and diagnostic methods.

Outcomes measured

• Existence/absence of international and national health policies for EHS
• Recognition of EHS as a disease
• Policy positions of WHO, ICNIRP, IEEE-ICES regarding EHS
• Need for research and diagnostic criteria for EHS

Limitations

• No diagnostic criteria for EHS are available, making prevalence estimates uncertain
• Specific methods and scope of the document analysis are not described in the abstract

Suggested hubs

• who-icnirp (0.95)
  Discusses WHO position on EHS and the influence of ICNIRP and IEEE-ICES on national policies.

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    },
    "population": "Persons with self-declared electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "Existence/absence of international and national health policies for EHS",
        "Recognition of EHS as a disease",
        "Policy positions of WHO, ICNIRP, IEEE-ICES regarding EHS",
        "Need for research and diagnostic criteria for EHS"
    ],
    "main_findings": "The article states that WHO does not consider EHS to be caused by EMF exposure and that EHS is not recognized as a disease anywhere. After analysis of international and national documents, it concludes there is currently no effort to develop health policies for EHS, and calls for WHO and national governments to develop a comprehensive, common EHS health policy and support research to establish causes and diagnostic methods.",
    "effect_direction": "unclear",
    "limitations": [
        "No diagnostic criteria for EHS are available, making prevalence estimates uncertain",
        "Specific methods and scope of the document analysis are not described in the abstract"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
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    "peer_reviewed_likely": "unknown",
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        "IEI-EMF",
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        "IEEE-ICES",
        "health policy",
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}

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