Prof. David Waltner-Toews, Population Medicine, was honoured with the inaugural Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Ecohealth award in recognition of his role in promoting the emerging field of ecosystem approaches to health.
He was nominated by the Canadian Community of Practice for Ecosystem Approaches to Health.
Waltner-Toews received the award at the EcoHealth 2010 Conference held in August in London, England. He was commended for the quality and diversity of his contributions, including his success in research, teaching, communications and policy-influence.
Ecohealth is a trans-disciplinary field that examines changes in biological, physical, social and economic environments and relates these changes to impacts on human health. It brings together physicians, veterinarians, ecologists, economists, social scientists, planners and others to study and understand how ecosystem changes are negatively impacting human health and to propose practical solutions.
Waltner-Toews is board president of Veterinarians Without Boarders Canada and has published several books of poetry, essays, non-fiction and fiction as well as over 100 academic papers. He is also the arts and culture editor for EcoHealth, the scholarly journal of the International Association for Ecology and Health.