RESILIENCE: The International Conference on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) 2026

By Environmental Health Association of Quebec

Introduction

The Resilience 2026 International Conference on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), organized by the Environmental Health Association of Canada and the Environmental Health Association of Québec, brings together researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and community leaders from around the world.

The conference reflects a growing global effort to deepen scientific understanding of MCS, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, and advance practical solutions that support healthier environments and improve the quality of life for people living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

Recent research has highlighted the increasing prevalence of MCS in Canada and globally, alongside growing scientific and policy recognition of its impacts. More than 1.13 million Canadians reported a diagnosis of MCS in 2020, according to the Canadian Community Health Survey (Statistics Canada), with women representing approximately 72% of those affected.

Despite this growing prevalence and its recognition as a disability within human rights frameworks, individuals living with MCS continue to face significant barriers in healthcare settings, housing, workplaces, and public spaces due to chemical exposures and inadequate accommodation measures.

These barriers highlight the importance of addressing environmental factors that limit equal participation in healthcare, housing, employment, and public life.

Improving indoor air quality and eliminating avoidable chemical exposures represent practical and achievable steps toward protecting both human health and the health of the planet.

Since the first edition of the conference, meaningful progress has been made in advancing research, policy awareness, and public dialogue on environmental health, fragrance sensitivity, and indoor air quality. However, awareness within healthcare systems and many professional sectors remains limited, contributing to ongoing gaps in diagnosis, clinical management, research funding, and professional education.

Resilience 2026 seeks to help close these gaps by highlighting emerging scientific evidence, strengthening international collaboration, and supporting policies and practices that reduce harmful exposures while promoting healthier and more inclusive environments.

Why This Conference Matters

People living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) often face significant barriers in healthcare settings, workplaces, housing, and public spaces due to chemical exposures and insufficient accommodation measures.

Although awareness of MCS has grown in recent years, gaps remain in clinical knowledge, research funding, professional education, and policy development.

Resilience provides an international conference where science, policy, and lived experience come together to advance understanding and support meaningful change.

Around the world, growing attention to indoor air quality and chemical exposures is reshaping how societies think about environmental health, accessibility, and prevention.

Key Themes

Resilience 2026 explores several critical themes at the intersection of environmental health, science, and accessibility:

• Scientific advances in Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
• Indoor air quality and the built environment
• Environmental exposures and prevention strategies
• Clinical care and healthcare accessibility
• Disability rights and policy frameworks
• Community engagement and lived experience
• International collaboration in environmental health