Health and Environmental Sustainability: Public Health Issues for Present and Future

DOI: https://doi.org/10.70357/jdamc.2018.v0202.07

Tarafdar MA1

Abstract

The medical definition of environmental causes of diseases would be all those factors that are not genetic. Environmentalfactors include all those factors those affect human health mediated by social conditions and individual choice or environment.'Sustainable' includes the environmental issues and 'development' includes the economic issues. Climate change alters ordisrupts natural systems, making it possible for vector, water, and food-borne diseases to spread or emerge. Climate change canaffect the incidence of diseases associated with air pollutants and aeroallergens. Clean air is considered to be a basicrequirement of human health and well-being. Poverty increases vulnerability to climate-sensitive health outcomes directly byreducing the capacity to adapt to changing conditions. For countries in the early stages of development the majorenvironmental hazards to health are associated with widespread poverty and severe lack of public infrastructure, such as accessto drinking water, sanitation, and lack of health care as well as emerging problems of industrial pollution and also urban wastebased pollution. A healthy population is a prerequisite for a productive and creative society, which in turn is needed to sustainnational development. Social determinants affect the environmental conditions of an individual and may contribute to the factthat specific individuals or population groups more often experience less adequate or potentially harmful environmentalconditions; may directly affect exposure beyond and in addition to the exposure. Enhancing environmental sustainability,through reducing carbon emissions, curtailing waste, and managing resources efficiently, will deliver healthy outcome, andprovide broader social and economic benefits.

Keywords: Environment, Sustainability, Public Health


  1. Professor, Department of Community Medicine

    Z H Sikder Women's Medical College, Dhaka


Volume 2, Number 2 July 2018
Page: 31-35