Health and the Environment

Health is emerging as a major environmental issue. The list of emerging links and associations is noteworthy. In the industrialized sector, the primary health need is associated with the reduction of acute and chronic exposure to chemicals. Exacerbation of respiratory ailments is now closely linked to the particulate loading of the air. Water quality and water availability are strong controls of human health. Stratospheric ozone depletion is linked to increased skin cancers and suppression of human immune systems. Environmental degradation has the potential to alter habitats sufficiently to influence the distribution and character of disease vectors. Further, efficient transportation systems and the global exchange of people and goods bring the potential of rapid transmission of diseases.

These are only a few examples of the association between health and the environment that provide a natural focus of effort on:

1. Links between the environment and human health
2. Assessment of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases
3. The study of behavioral factors that limit risk
4. Processes and technologies that limit risk
5. Improved health infrastructure, environmental health training, and public awareness