Introduction to Environmental Health Lecture 1

Why it is important for Public Health?

According to WHO… The determinants of health include: the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and the person’s individual characteristics and behaviours.

Physical environment Safe water and clean air Healthy workplaces Safe houses, communities and roads Employment and working conditions (WHO)

Continue Exposure to hazardous substances in the air, water, soil, and food Natural and technological disasters Physical hazards Nutritional deficiencies The built environment

Let’s Start!!

Environment “Environment is sum total of water, air and land interrelationships among themselves and also with the human being, other living organisms and property” It includes all the physical and biological surrounding and their interactions

The Four Spheres of Earth!

The Four Spheres Atmosphere: It is basically mixture of gases and water vapours. Temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall and other meteorological factors are its part Hydrosphere: It covers 70% of earth’s surface. 97% ocean and 3% fresh water

The Four Spheres Lithosphere: It is the outer solid part of earth including crust and uppermost mantle Biosphere: It is sum of all ecosystem.

Environmental Health Environmental health addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and All the related factors impacting behaviors. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health (WHO, 2015)

Important Definitions Ecosystem: An ecosystem is the ecological unit consisting of biotic factors (living) and abiotic factors (non-living) in a specific area Balanced Ecosystem: It is defined as a fixed relative proportion of all living things on earth For example, plants should be more than animals

Contributors to EH Chemical −Air polluants, toxic wastes, pesticides, VOCs Biologic −Disease organisms present in food and water −Insect and animal allergens Physical −Noise, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation Socioeconomic −Access to safe and sufficient health care

Environmental Health-Factsheet It is estimated that 25% of the global disease burden and 23% of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors About 36% of this burden affects children from 0 to 14 years of age For 2008, the number of premature deaths attributable to urban outdoor air pollution is estimated to amount to 1.34 million worldwide

Environmental Health It helps to understand: Conservation of nature and natural resources. Conservation of biological diversity Control of environmental pollution Stabilization of human population and environment Social issues in relation to development and environment

Time Host Environment Agent

Branches of Environmental Health

Branches Environmental Toxicology: It is also known as “Entox”. It is concerned with understanding the adverse effects of chemicals, physical, and biological agents on living organisms

Features Environmental Engineering: It is concerned with protecting people from the effects of adverse environment, such as pollution. Environmental engineers work to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health aspects, and water & air pollution

Features Environmental Epidemiology: It is concerned with the discovery of the environmental exposures that contribute to or protect against injuries, illnesses, developmental conditions, disabilities, and deaths. It collects data for factors that can affect incidence and prevalence of diseases

First Session Ends!

Earth Summit (Rio Declaration 1992) It defines the rights and responsibilities of the people to be involved in protecting their environment People are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature Environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process

Earth Summit Rio+10 Second earth summit took place in 2002 (Johannesburg) New agreements were developed among signatory countries to achieve “Millennium Development Goals” Problems of erosion, landslide, draining of lakes, poverty were discussed

What is koyoto protocol?

Environmental Health-Pakistan Pollution Population Explosion Climate change & Global warming Natural disasters Deforestation .....

Ecological Drift in Pakistan The growth in traffic and dirty fuel has adverse effect on health In Pakistan Sulphur in diesel and furnace oil is1& 3 percent respectively as compared to 0.05-0.5 and 0.5-1 percent in other countries In Pakistan lead in gasoline is 0.35gm/lit while in other countries in the region it is 0.15gm/lit

Ecological Drift in Pakistan Blood lead levels for children in Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar are 36.9, 22.3 and 19 micro gm/dl while the acceptable value is 15 micro gm/dl High lead levels may lead to stunted growth and mental retardation Suspended particular matter level is also high in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Peshawar

WHO-2013

Pakistan Regional Plan-WHO Pakistan is in Group 1, along with Afghanistan, Djibouti, occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen Group 1 countries are the least developed in terms of the water supply and sanitation, and need major efforts to improve the sanitation

Pakistan Regional Plan-WHO Group 1 countries have identified five priorities for protecting the environment: Drinking water quality (including increased access to water and sanitation) Solid waste (including hazardous wastes, such as health care waste)

Pakistan Regional Plan Domestic combustion of biomass (indoor air pollution) Food safety Vector control

Identify any one Environmental Health issue in Pakistan from WHO regional plan and write a comprehensive note by taking data from WHO and world bank.