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Environmental health
is defined by the
World Health Organisation as:
Those aspects of
human health and
disease that are determined by factors in the
environment. It
also refers to the theory and practice of assessing and controlling factors in the
environment that can potentially affect health.
Environmental health as used by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, includes both the direct pathological effects of
chemicals,
radiation and some
biological agents, and the effects (often indirect) on health and
wellbeing of the broad
physical,
psychological,
social and
aesthetic environment which includes
housing,
urban development,
land use and
transport. [1] (http://www.who.dk/eprise/main/WHO/Progs/HEP/20030612_1)
Nutrition,
pollution,
waste control and
public health are
related concerns.
When
well-being of a whole population is measured, these
become economic and
political
concerns. Increasingly wellness concerns are affecting
fiscal policy and
prompting some advocates to call for
monetary reform (to end
systematic
pollution credit, governments actually paying to create
human health harms).
Environmental health services
Environmental health services are defined by the World Health Organisation as:
those services which implement environmental health policies through monitoring and control activities. They also carry out
that role by promoting the improvement of environmental parameters and by encouraging the use of environmentally friendly and
healthy technologies and behaviours. They also have a leading role in developing and suggesting new policy areas.
The Environmental Health
profession had its modern-day roots in the sanitary
and public health movement of the
United Kingdom. This was epitomised
by Sir Edwin Chadwick who was instrumental in the repeal of the
poor laws and was the founding president of the
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
See also
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