we are connected to our environment. Our natural and built environmental health is much more than just where we live. The situation of the planet has an impact on our mental and physical well-being. This important relationship between people and the environment is called environmental health. Just as the food we eat affects our physical and mental health, so does the state of the planet. Environmental health takes into account all aspects of our environment, including pollutionb.Access to clean water, and infrastructure problems that affect human health. Let’s examine what you can do to aid and some more examples of environmental health.
What is environmental health?
Many people think of environmental health as clean air and water, but natural environmental forces. Including global warming, are just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Environmental health is an area of public health that monitors and treats physical, chemical and biological factors over which we have no direct control but which influence our health. For example, if you live in a neighborhood with unsafe sidewalks or dirty air. it can be difficult to get outside and exercise. Likewise, the materials your home is made of, the insects that surround it, and the food you have access to can affect the health of you and your family. Simply put, environmental health is an area of public health that deals with all the different ways the world around us affects our physical and mental health.
Areas of Environmental Health:
Environmental health is one of the largest areas of public health. Because of the many ways external forces can influence how we eat, live, and grow. These forces can be linked to the treatment of our natural environment (such as clean water or sanitation). But they can also be the result of human behavior, including social norms. The 2030 Environmental Health Goals highlight six key areas where environmental health plays an important role in community health in different ways.
Air Quality:
Time is non-negotiable for people. We need it to survive, but we don’t always make sure to keep it clean and it can have a huge impact on our health. Poor air quality is linked to several health problems, including sudden infant death syndrome, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Low birth weight is also associated with air pollution. A study published in 2019 found that children born to pregnant women exposed to high levels of air pollution. During the early and late stages of pregnancy were at greater risk than their peers. Low birth weight or unexposed premature infants.
The Clean Air Act of 1970 attempted to change that. For the first time, the federal government has taken responsibility for protecting air quality for all American citizens by controlling harmful emissions from both automobiles and factories. The law was then expanded in 1990 to combat acid rain and the ozone layer, and it worked. In a 2011 Insight report, the EPA estimated that the Clean Air Act would prevent more than 230,000 premature deaths by 2020. US Environmental Protection Agency. Benefits and costs of the Clean Air Act, 1990-2020, second survey.
Water and Sanitation Services:
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 780 million people worldwide lack access to safe water and 1.7 billion people – about a fifth of the world’s population – lack adequate sanitation , like clean bathrooms. The impact of 45 is staggering. It is estimated that approximately 2,200 children die every day worldwide due to diarrheal diseases linked to inadequate water and sanitation.
In the United States, the simple act of filtering and chlorinating water has led to significant reductions in once-common diseases such as typhoid fever. The United Nations estimates that for every dollar invested in clean water technology. The world saves $4.3 in health and social costs. Historically, clean water has been responsible for reducing infant mortality in this country.
Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste:
Toxicology is a branch of science that focuses on the study of how chemicals and substances affect humans and their environment, and is an important area of environmental health. The materials required to run many industries and technologies, such as heavy metals or certain plastics. can be harmful to the human body or even cause serious health problems9.
One of the most famous recent examples is the Flint water crisis. When news broke in 2015 that drinking water in Flint, Michigan, was contaminated with lead, many families were outraged and frightened. If children eat or ingest lead, it can cause long-term health problems. including brain damage, and in Flint’s case, economically disadvantaged children were most affected.
More than 40 percent of Flint’s population lives below the poverty line, about 2.8 times the U.S. median poverty rate. For healthy results. This crisis has clearly demonstrated how environmental health issues impact those whose health is at risk.
Homes and Communities:
We spend most of our time at home, work or school, so it’s important to ensure these spaces are safe, minimize risk and promote a healthy lifestyle. For example, families may not go out for exercise when enough violence occurs nearby. If roads are not maintained properly, more crashes will occur.
One area of environmental health that is growing is the food supply. Many American communities have full-service grocery stores nearby. In their absence, residents are often forced to rely on gas station utility stores for purchases. This can be expensive, but more importantly, it can mean fewer or fewer choices of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are an important part of a healthy diet. Making healthy choices can be difficult for families in these areas. which can exacerbate health disparities among low-income and minority populations.
To offset the impact of these “food deserts.” environmental health experts encourage community residents to grow and harvest their own fresh produce and improve public transportation to grocery stores and full-service centers. Legislation to encourage retailers to offer healthier food options.
Infrastructure and Surveillance
Data is a key component of any public health strategy. Understand what the risks are and where environmental health professionals can use resources to prevent or control them. This includes diagnosis and response (called epidemiology), as well as testing people for risk and establishing surveillance programmes.
Surveillance activities include asking professionals to go out and look for specific health problems (active surveillance). Or other areas (such as medicine or agriculture) and report them to local health authorities.
Examples include mosquito control and workplace control. These programs test mosquitoes for a variety of issues, including the presence of serious infections such as Zika virus. and monitor mosquito populations to ensure control measures are working. Governments need to know where and how to eradicate mosquitoes and warn the public. when mosquito-borne diseases appear in the area.
The importance of a healthy environment
The relationship between people and the environment is interdependent. Clean water, air and healthy food are important to humans. Because our actions affect the environment in some way, they affect our lives, our health, our families, and our communities. Human civilization has always been closely related to the environment. Sitting outdoors and in green spaces can promote calmness, lower blood pressure and improve concentration.
Benefits of a Healthy Environment
A healthy environment means healthy people. It can reduce the risk of disease. Understanding your environment can reduce your risk of disease. By reducing the entry of bacteria and germs, outbreaks and epidemics can be reduced. It promotes health and quality of life. Providing food, shelter, clean air and water improves quality of life. It also increases life expectancy. As temperatures rise, food security declines. This can lead to malnutrition and disease. Increase biodiversity by raising community awareness about habitat restoration. This could limit the extent of global warming that would otherwise double the risk of droughts by 2050 and double the risk of floods by 2030. One billion people could be affected by rising sea levels, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could also lower global temperatures. It promotes food security and health equity, provides clean water and air, reduces hazardous waste and improves public health.
Conclusion
Environmental health problems can only be solved through public awareness and education. Solutions to environmental problems can reduce disease, promote healthier lifestyles, limit global warming and extend life expectancy.
Blog By: ExpertSadar
