Dr William Bird, founder of Intelligent Health, is delivering a keynote speech at Northern Ireland environment link’s annual conference on Tuesday 24 November.
The conference takes place at Queen’s University, Belfast and brings together environment and health representatives from public agencies, local authorities and the third sector from across the United Kingdom to explore the health benefits gained from the natural environment. Northern Ireland Environment Link is the national forum and networking body for organisations interested in the environment. NIEL was formally launched in 1990 to complete the UK network: Scottish Environment Link, Wales Environment Link and Wildlife and Countryside Link.
Dr Bird’s keynote speech is entitled “Natural Health Service — a Call to Action” and will focus on the links between health and nature.
The speech will help promote understanding of how a healthy environment is essential to human health and well-being and how this can be delivered.
Dr William Bird explained; “54% of the world live in cities yet we were designed to live amongst nature. It is this disconnection from nature that is so damaging to human health yet it is only recently that we know the importance that this disconnection is having on disease.”
Intelligent Health runs the successful Beat the Street walking programme around the UK and internationally, a competition that has so far seen 150,000 take part this year. Previously, Dr Bird set up Green Gyms and Walking for Health.
