What is Environmental Health?
Environmental Health falls under the broad umbrella of Public Health, which promotes and protects the health of large populations and the communities where people live, learn, work and play. While most images of healthcare consist of doctors and patients in a clinical setting, public health uses preventative methods to combat downstream healthcare outcomes. As we have all seen with the rise of COVID-19, a lot of people sought out medical care after being infected. Public Health measures, such as masking and social distancing, were enforced to try to prevent the spread.
“Environmental Health promotes and protects the health of large populations and the communities where people live, learn, work and play.”
Similarly, we can use preventative measures to help save our environment, which in turn can increase our chances of living healthier and longer lives. Currently, we are experiencing the negative outcomes of climate change with extreme heat and unpredictable weather conditions. It is no surprise that our environment (both built and natural) impacts our health physically and mentally. Environmental Health efforts, like general Public Health ones, include organized and holistic solutions to improve policy, education, and access to resources.
According to the WHO, “Healthier environments could prevent almost one quarter of the global burden of disease.” Environmental Health consists of monitoring and improving the conditions of our air, water, and land. It is not limited to our built settings (such as work spaces, neighborhoods, cities, factories, etc.). We live in a very interconnected world where one factor can impact multiple lives. This is best described through the “One Health” model, which is a three-way Venn diagram connecting human health, animal health, and environmental health.
One Health by ISGlobal
Environmental health requires us to think of collaborative approaches to understanding and addressing environmentally influenced health outcomes. While it is a broad subject, there are further subcategories which focus on more specific areas. For example, the subcategory of climate change helps us to understand how our planet is reacting to centuries of human development and industrialization. Sustainability provides us with methods we can follow for long-lasting health changes. Multiple environmental hazards also affect our daily lives, and these hazards can be categorized into four separate areas: physical, biological, chemical, and cultural hazards. By understanding these hazards and their upstream causes, we can enact solutions that have high-impact.
So why does Environmental health matter? Our world is filled with so much life and complexity. It is our moral responsibility to take care of the people and things we live for. When you care for the environment, you are also caring for yourself and those around you.
