Question

Development Goals & Environmental Health

What area of environmental health would you prioritize for intervention to improve the lives and health of most people worldwide?

Answer 1

Environmental health is a branch of public health that deals with the changes and hazards present in the environment and identifies possible measures to prevent injury and illness to humans. Certain factors considered in relation to environmental health are climate change, natural and man made disasters,pollution of air,water,soil and food, occupational health hazards and hazards due to the built environment(man made structures). Maintaining environmental health is important in order to improve quality of life and life expectancy.The area that needs prioritized intervention is controlling pollution. The waste products dumped into the land and water resources, toxic gases emitted into the atmosphere and toxic additives and pesticides that contaminate food products are the basis for major health problems world wide. Pollution is the cornerstone to climatic changes too that may cause natural disasters like flood and drought. Increased incidence of respiratory disorders, infectious diseases,cancer due to radiation exposure,waterborne epidemics etc can be prevented by pollution control interventions.