"Environment Health: What It Is and Why It Matters"
Environment health is the branch of public health that deals with the effects of the natural and built environment on human health. It covers a wide range of topics, such as air quality, water quality, climate change, waste management, noise pollution, radiation exposure, chemical hazards, occupational health, and environmental justice.
Environmental health is
important because it affects our well-being and quality of life. The
environment we live in can influence our physical, mental, emotional, and
social health. For example, exposure to air pollution can cause respiratory
problems, asthma, and lung cancer. Exposure to contaminated water can cause diarrhoea,
cholera, and typhoid. Exposure to extreme weather events can cause heat stress,
dehydration, and hypothermia. Exposure to noise pollution can cause hearing
loss, stress, and sleep disturbance. Exposure to chemical hazards can cause
poisoning, allergies, and cancer. Exposure to occupational hazards can cause
injuries, infections, and chronic diseases.
According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), environmental factors are responsible for an estimated 24%
of the global burden of disease and 23% of all deaths. In 2019, more than 9
million deaths were attributed to environmental causes. The most common
environmental risk factors include ambient and household air pollution, unsafe
water and sanitation, exposure to lead and other chemicals, climate change, and
occupational hazards.
Environmental health is also a
matter of equity and justice. Some groups of people are more vulnerable and
exposed to environmental hazards than others. These include children, elderly
people, pregnant women, people with disabilities or chronic diseases,
low-income people, ethnic minorities, indigenous people, migrants, refugees,
and displaced people. These groups often face multiple and cumulative
environmental risks that affect their health outcomes and opportunities.
Therefore, environmental health
is a crucial issue that requires urgent action and attention. We need to
protect and improve the environment we live in for our own health and
well-being, as well as for the health and well-being of future generations.
How to Promote Environment
Health
There are many ways to promote environmental
health at different levels. Some of the ways are:
- At the individual level: We can take personal actions to reduce our environmental
impact and exposure to environmental hazards. For example, we can use
public transportation, walk, or bike instead of driving; we can conserve
energy and water at home; we can recycle and compost our waste; we can
avoid smoking and burning solid fuels indoors; we can use natural or
organic products instead of synthetic or chemical ones; we can wear
protective gear and follow safety guidelines when working with hazardous
materials; we can monitor our health and seek medical attention when
needed.
- At the community level: We can participate in community initiatives and activities
that aim to improve the environment and health of our neighborhoods. For
example, we can join or organize clean-up campaigns, tree planting events,
or environmental education programs; we can support or volunteer for local
environmental organizations, groups, or movements; we can advocate for or
report environmental issues or violations to relevant authorities; we can
collaborate with other stakeholders, such as schools, businesses, or NGOs,
to implement environmental projects or solutions.
- At the national level:
We can support or influence policies and regulations that promote environmental
health at the national level. For example, we can vote for or lobby
political leaders or representatives who prioritize environmental health
issues; we can sign or initiate petitions or campaigns for environmental
causes or reforms; we can follow or comply with national laws or standards
on environmental protection or management; we can contribute to or benefit
from national programs or services on environment health.
- At the global level:
We can support or engage in global efforts and partnerships that address
environment health challenges at the global level. For example, we can
follow or adopt international agreements or conventions on environment
health, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Stockholm
Convention on persistent organic pollutants, or the Minamata Convention on
mercury; we can donate or fundraise for international organizations or
agencies that work on environment health, such as WHO, UNICEF, or
Greenpeace; we can learn from or share best practices or experiences with
other countries or regions on environment health.
Conclusion
Environment
health is the branch of public health that deals with the effects of the
natural and built environment on human health. It is important because it
affects our well-being and quality of life. It is also a matter of equity and
justice. We need to protect and improve protect and improve the
environment we live in for our own health and well-being, as well as for the
health and well-being of future generations. We can promote environmental
health at different levels, such as the individual, community, national, and
global levels. We can also take personal actions, participate in community
initiatives, support or influence policies and regulations, and support or
engage in global efforts and partnerships.
We hope this blog post has
helped you understand what environmental health is and why it matters. If you
have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them with us. Thank
you for reading!
Source:
·
Environmental health - WHO.
https://www.who.int/health-topics/environmental-health.
·
Environment & Health.
https://pubs.acs.org/journal/ehnea2.
· Environmental
Health - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_health.
· Environmental Health and How it Can Effect
Your Health - Verywell Health.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-environmental-health-4158207.
· What is environmental health? - EHINZ.
https://www.ehinz.ac.nz/indicators/overview/what-is-environmental-health/.
· World Health Organization (WHO). (2021).
Environmental health. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/health-topics/environmental-health
· World Health Organization (WHO). (2020).
Preventing disease through healthy environments: A global assessment of the
burden of disease from environmental risks. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565196
· World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). WHO
global report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241515436
· Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). (2018). Environmental health. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/index.htm
· National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS). (2017). Environmental health topics. Retrieved from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/index.cfm
Open the link and understand Environment Health
Dr. Mayank Chandrakar is a writer also. My first book "Ayurveda Self Healing: How to Achieve Health and Happiness" is available on Kobo and Instamojo. You can buy and read.
For Kobo-
https://www.kobo.com/search?query=Ayurveda+Self+Healing
The second Book "Think Positive Live Positive: How Optimism and Gratitude can change your life" is available on Kobo and Instamojo.
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