Understand the importance of the environment for our health, we need to know a little about the interdependence between the environment and humankind. This unit will look at ways in which humans have altered, and are altering the environment. These changes have health implications that are not always immediately obvious. Frequently, we initiate changes that are going to have their effects sometime in the future, and we will be looking at the legacies that we leave to future generations. We move on to consider our own demise and ask what exactly it is that we think we will be leaving for those who follow.
This unit will help you to understand the complexity of the interdependence between organisms and their environment, some of the consequences for the health of pollution and why it is difficult to reduce pollution.
Lessons
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Important definitions to note/address before attempting the question: Health Woes: Health conditions that impact human health and cause them distress.
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Here are some news articles that will help you understand issues related to environment and health.
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As per a report by World Health Organisations, Annually, 1.7 million deaths in children under 5 years of age are due to the environment. The most prominent causes of death are lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, and diarrhoeal diseases.
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Countries where there is poor regulation of emissions. Another type of air pollution is from the burning of organic matter, including forest fires (wildfires) or burning of crop stubble. These sources of air pollution can be very significant in some parts of the world, such as parts of Indonesia.
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The magnitude of environmental problems on human health calls for interventions and solutions that should be taken on multiple levels. On a local level, many countries have taken adequate measures to control environmental-related health problems.
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Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century, putting the lives and well-being of billions of people at increased risk in the next decades.
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Here is a glossary of words related to health and environment
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Here are some videos to understand issues related to Environment and Health
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