Environmental Health, as stated by Friis (2012), “comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social, and psychological factors in the environment”. Additionally he points out that “it also refers to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling, and preventing those factors in the environment that potentially can affect adversely the health of present and future generations” (Friis, 2012). Large proportions of current diseases are associated with environmental sources. It is estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the report Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments - towards an estimate of the environmental burden of disease that …show more content…
It is stated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that “asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening chronic respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for more than 23 million Americans, including an estimated 6 million children”. Mayo Clinic defines asthma as “a condition in which airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus” that “makes breathing difficult and triggers coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath”. Irena Buka (2006) reports that “the Committee on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in 2004 emphasizing the link between ambient air pollution” (defined by WHO as pollution emitted from industries, households, cars, and trucks) “and children’s health”. “Children are known to be more vulnerable to the adverse health effects of air pollution due to their higher minute ventilation, immature immune system, involvement in vigorous activities, the longer periods of time they spend outdoors and the continuing development of their lungs during the early postneonatal period” (Buka, 2006). According to Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities announced by EPA, “approximately 7 million children age 0 to 17 in the U. S. have asthma, with poor and minority children suffering a …show more content…
The children were followed for up to 8 years and the results of the study provided robust evidence that “lung development… from the ages of 10 to 18 years, is reduced in children exposed to higher levels of ambient air pollution” (Gaudermna, 2004). The GALA II and SAGE II studies of early-life air pollution and asthma risks in minority children led by UCSF (University of California, San Francisco) observed of 5,000 participant from Chicago, Bronx, Houston, San Francisco and Puerto Rico from 2006 to 2011. The results of these studies showed that African American and Latino infants living in communities with poor air quality due to traffic-related pollutant are more likely to develop childhood asthma (Thakur,
Imagine a young child competing with his or her fellow classmates during recess and immediately losing the ability to breathe normally. He or she stops in the middle of the competition and falls to the ground while holding his or her chest trying to find air. When you are young, being able to keep up with your peers during recess and sporting events is very important, however, having asthma restricts this. Asthma has a significant impact on childhood development and the diagnosis of asthma for children 18 years and younger has dramatically increased over the years. Asthma is known as a “chronic inflammation of the small and large airways” with “evident bronchial hyper-responsiveness, airflow obstruction, and in some patients, sub-basement fibrosis and over-secretion of mucus” (Toole, 2013). The constant recreation of the lung walls can even occur in young children and “lead to permanent lung damages and reduced lung function” (Toole, 2013). While one of the factors is genetics, many of the following can be prevented or managed. Obesity, exposure to secondhand smoke, and hospitalization with pneumonia in the early years of life have all been suggested to increase children’s risk of developing asthma.
Although ambient air pollution has decreased over the past several decades due to stringent air pollution control policies, there has been little evidence directly supporting the extent these control measures have improved public health (Tonne, et al, 2010). Investigative research has observed evidence to support the association of air pollution and particulate matter with increased cardiovascular events.
Pedersen, Soren, and Stanley J. Szefler, eds. Childhood Asthma. Vol. 209. New York: Taylor and Francis, 2006. Print.
There are three elements under environment, which are physical, psycho-social, and economic. Health issues do and can arise from environmental factors. Those living in a third world country have limited access to hospitals and care. Despite the age, young or old, people lose their lives because they didn’t have the resources to help them. And in the other hand, those that live in a country where they have access to hospitals and care,
Among all Americans, the prevalence of asthma increased more than 60 percent between 1982 and 1994, especially among children. Deaths from asthma increased more than 55 percent from 1979 to 1992. Scientists suspect that increased exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke, growing populations in polluted city centers, and new housing that is poorly ventilated contribute to the increase in asthma cases.
Health shapes our life, if you practice bad health practices, chances are you’re often sick, overweight, disease, or other medical issue. There are three main points of a person’s health, not just their physical health. The three parts are; social, mental/emotional, and of course physical. Setting health goals depends on age, body, and health of a person. I am 14 years old, and I am 5 feet tall, around 100 pounds. I’m generally the correct size for someone of my age. Though, it’s hard to achieve perfect health.
... environmental quality leading health indicators are air quality index exceeding 100 and children of ages 3 to 11 exposed to secondhand smoke. Poor water quality can lead to gastrointestinal illness, neurological problems and cancer. Poor air quality can cause cardiovascular disease, cancers, and asthma. Certain chemicals found in homes and workplaces can contribute to severe poisonings and other toxic serious effects.
There are 80 countries that have been suffering from a lack of clean water, and two billion people lack access to freshwater, especially South Africa (Alois). This area of countries is the driest in the world - Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt and so on. Like in the book A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, Nya, who lives in Sudan, has been lacking clean water. She has to find water every day for her family. Luckily, Nya got help from Salva who used to live in Sudan and came back from America to build the water system for her village. However, there are still many people around the world that have been suffering to find clean water for basic use. There are many factors that cause a lack of clean water around the world: geography of countries, deforestation,
Asthmatic children are especially at risk. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the number of episodes and severity of symptoms in hundreds of thousands of asthmatic children. Between 200,000 and 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition worsened by secondhand smoke.
Sabogal, R (2010) Global Environmental Health : Sustainability. Journal of Environmental Health, 73 (3) p26-28.
Parkes, M., Panelli, R., & Weinstein, P. (2003). Converging paradigms for environmental health theory and practice. Environmental health perspectives, 111(5), 669-675.
In conclusion, air pollution affects the immune system, making it weak and vulnerable to certain bacteria, illnesses, viruses and foreign invaders. Common diseases that are affected the most include asthma and allergies. Air pollution in general has been seen to modify the immune system's handling of particular allergens. The exposure to toxins like dioxin can cause serious health problems for people. Having long-term exposure to this toxin is connected to weakening of the immune system, as well as the nervous system, endocrine system and certain reproductive functions. Hence, everyone has a particular level and exposure of dioxins in the body. Improving air quality is the key answer to avoiding any type of development of disease, but it is a long term goal that will require the help and commitment at the national and global level.
The objectives of this essay is to identify and address the global health issues as whole including causes of these issues and impact of these issues. Also it is aim to address the preventive measures to reduce the global issues and report the methods for global health issues identified and understand the global health priorities with regards to major health issues throughout the world.
Today talking about environmental issues lately to be like a common topic discussion until people take it for granted. However, the world facing a complex environmental problems related to each trouble that connected to one another and come out with greater impacts to the environment and humans. This is because the effects of environmental only can be seen in long term period rather than immediately result show up. Environmental issues must become one of the controversial matters in the society in order to make people know the truth what the world currently facing. There were a lot of environmental disaster happened such as climate change, global warming, various of pollutions, earthquake and etc. the rise of environmental issues begin with this urban development occur through several countries following with the technologies equip along. For sure, development will cause a huge negative impact to the environment if it deals without a care. Besides, the environment is the place in the ecosystem to hold and use in finding resources to continuously survive in this world. Thus, the finding and digging for the resources which happening extensively without preservation will not restore the surrounding similar with before. But then, the change cannot be refuse and people need to take an action to save the threaten the world and the ecosystem from being extinct. If each country has own output in causing an environmental problem, then consider the world to hold all the damage occurred. Exposing the effects of environmental issues throughout the world, make people realize the important to take care the environment.
The natural conservancy is an organization that is out to conserve the lands and waters on which life depends on. In this paper, I will argue that the natural conservancy organization mission statement captures the true essence of environmentalism. The mission statement of the Nature Conservancy represents the true essence of environmentalism since it recognizes the intrinsic value of all living beings while prioritizing the importance of protecting nature for future generations.