Week 4 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is “environment”?
Environment:
What do we mean when we talk about environment in the context of global health?
Social, computer, social media, physical environment – vary broad term
Focus on physical environment
All the aspects in our day to day function in the context of human health
What connection between human health and environment and how can some lead to unfavorable outcomes
Terms:
climate, atmosphere, ambiance, habitats
Ecosystems, nature, conditions
Landscape, ecology
All terms we take in to consideration in the context of global health
WHO environmental factors
- air pollution
- WASH
- solid waste
- chemicals
- radiation
- climate change
- nature and health
- safe environments and mobility
- safe and healthy food
Environmental factors as outlined by WHO
what do they show?
Interconnectedness of environment affecting our overall wellbeing- disease prevalence, diseases come and go and mov from one area to the next, some conditions may benefit – water dikes that water fields, but also breeding ground for snails and mosquitos – impact overall health of people in that population
Why do we talk about environment in the context of global health?
We need air, food, and water to be able to sustain life – if any of these three-thing impacted by pollution or lack of then we are going to struggle as a human population to be able to fight of disease and maintain an overall sense of wellbeing
Environmental determinants of health (Pan-American Health Organization, N.d.)
“Physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all related behaviours.”
which SDGs relate to environment health
- good health and well-being
- clean water and sanitation
- affordable and clean energy
- sustainable cities and communities
- climate action
- responsible consumption and production
How are environment and nutrition linked?(Sabate, 2019, p. 48)
FOODshows how natural world (resources) and human societies are linked together and put tension on the overall food life cycles we have
When demand goes up then puts pressure on food cycle
Changes like pollution can put a demand on food
Solid waste and ineffective sanitation – unclean water- will impact overall food sources, growth, handling and what it. Looks like when going to consumer
Geography also impacts food that is available – dry land vs lush and fertile
e.g., less and less rain fall
In Vancouver the grass is brown, never use to be, further south, huge issues with the change in geography and climate – impacts soil fertility and ability to grow food
Lush area with lots of production to gone – food desert (desertification)
Seeing more fo that happening
Impacts biodiversity and impacts dietary diversity, impacts microbiome
First there is an interaction when looking at environment and impact – continues to ripple out to food, water sources, and eventually that leads to a change In that burden of disease – usually increasing it
What is happening in food and agricultural?
Genetic modification – modifying the foods to make them more resilient to the environment they are in
Not always a positive outcome and our bodies are not used to digesting that type for food – some cons to doing it
Can then see decrease in biodiversity
Environment and global health(World Health organization2018)
what is the impact?
Varies depending on where you are around the globe
Overall picture between 23-24% of global deaths are linked to environment – converts to 12.6 million deaths per year
Shows where most of it is happening – map
lots of deaths in south-east asia region and western pacific region
where are CDs largely present
Asia and Africa – think about the climate there, dry, deserts, not a lot of options in terms of irrigation, processes that are being put in place and process the yare trying to figure out how to get water
How the environment impacts our health (WHO, 2018)
people are exposed to risk factors in their home, work places, and communities through:
- air pollution including indoor and outdoor
- inadequate water, sanitation and hygeine
- chemical and biological agents
- radiation uv and ionizing
- community noise
- occupational risks
- agricultural practices including pesticides use, waste-water use reuse
- built environments including housing and roads
climate change
Consider some key ways in which the environment influences our health:
The environment plays a very important role in shaping our health in many ways and can have both direct and indirect impacts on our well-being.
Consider some key ways in which the environment influences our health:
Shift in population from rural to urban
Noise pollution
Anxiety in north America
Noise pollution from more urbanization leads less sleep, more sympathetic nervous system and contributes to anxiety and depression
As more people are more predicted to come into urban settings, then we predict more anxiety, and depression (when looking at single factor)
Some cities minimal to no green space – impact on overall mental and physical wellbeing
Cities are way hotter and urban areas
As we keep losing agriculture and green space it will continue to heat up
Biodiversity change as well
Lower income in urban space – less green
Some cities are doing good job with green space – putting green in as many areas as they can to mitigate the heat
Environment plays crucial role in overall wellbeing – direct and indirect impacts
Indirect may be lack of green space that has overall impact on our well being
who is most impacted by the environment?
environment impacts on health are uneven across age and mostly affect the poor
low and middle income countries bear the greatest share of enviornemnetal disease
men are slightly more affected due to occupational risks and injuries
women bear higher exposures to traditional environmental risks such as smoke from cooking with solid foods or carrying water
children under 5 and adutls between 50 and 75 years old are most affected by the enviornment
environment deaths in children and adutls?
4.9 milion deaths in adults between 50 to 75 - the most common causes are noncommunicable diseases and injuries
1.7 milion deaths in children under 5 - most common causes are lower respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases
Why do low and middle-income countries bear the greatest share of environmental disease?
- Lack resources like electricity, energy, house
- Safe housing, infrastructure
- Infrastructure to support houses
- Using fossil fuels to cook – dangerous, without infrastructure in place how do we shift
- Exploitations by high income countries – exploit lower income e.g., mining in Africa vs in Canada
- Poverty and poor living conditions plays a role in low income countries and limited regulations and limited enforcement
- Even occupation, some countries where they are building large building and resorts and you look at what they are wearing , bare feet and no safety equipment and if there is regulations no enforced… occupation hazards
8.Climate change
9.Education and awareness
- Economic inequities and global trade, globalization and trade dynamics and how they contribute to environment degradation
why are children under 5 at risk for environmental health impacts
Immune system still developing, susceptible to infectious disease, environmental hazards, injuries
Adults in later stage of life (50-75) – age related health conditions – NCDs – starting to trickle down in 30/40s, when already predispose makes them more susceptible to others
what is key when thinking about environment
Public health is key when thinking about environment and populations
Protecting populations, not a band aid to treat afterwards but prevent from happening in the first palce
Environmental Burden of disease: Children
Accounts for more than 1/3 of the disease burden in children
The infant death rate from environmental causes is 12 times higher in LMIC
Risks of environmental factors are greatest for poor women and their children due to:
- Exposure to indoor air pollution from the burning of solid fuel
- Poor quality of water
action: adaptation - how to protect from smoke
Stay
Stay inside when PM 2.5 is increased
Avoid
Avoid strenuous activity in smoke
Prepare
Prepare for evacuation: emergency supply kit
Wear
Wear N95 (PM 2.5 mask)
Filter
Filter air: HEPA filter or air conditioning
Watch
Watch for signs of respiratory and wildfire-related illness
action on climate change
Adaptation vs. Mitigation (living with climate change; preventing further change/impacts)
Clean energy sources and then we need to still adapt, that is happening usually after floods, need to be proactive, build in terms of earthquakes and flood zones
Places around the world that are implementing green corridor project in urban centers where there are green spaces throughout the city
building climate resilience means mitigation through action to reduce emission that cause climate change and adaption through actions to maange the risk of cliamte change impacts
problem with wildfires and how they come to be
temperatures rising, forests and grasslands drier longer, snow emlts sooner
wildfires cause heat waves and heating up globe
What do you think is the deadliest climate-relatedhealth hazard?
heat waves
Key Human Causes of climate change
Burning fossil fuels
Forestry practices
Agricultural practices
Urban development
Climate change defined
“[A] long-term shift in weather conditionsidentified by changes in temperature,precipitation, winds,and other indicators. Climatechange can involve both changes in averageconditions and changes invariability, including, forexample, extremeevents.” (Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2019)
