8) Ecology and Health

Exhaustion of natural resources

e.g. water, land, food

• water scarcity : affect personal hygiene
• food scarcity : nutrition
• food and water-borne diseases due to improper heating of food and water

Global warming

alter the pattern of exposure of vector-borne infections

• e.g. malaria and dengue fever

Pollution

chemical

• some toxic substances accumulated in various tissues and organs in different body systems

radiation

• risks of anemia and cancer

water

• transmitting pathogens causing typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera and parasitic worms

noise

• damage of hearing, neurasthenia

air

• respiratory illnesses such as asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis

Natural disasters

Physical

• physical injury, Deficiency in nutrition, infectious diseases due to crowding of survivors

Mental

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Social

• breakdown of social network in some cases

Individual

personal roles in protecting the environment

• e.g. resource conservation, 3R – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Society

government roles in the protecting the environment

• e.g. legislation, promotion such as campaigns related to cleanliness and hygiene control of pollutants, industrial waste, food safety, etc.

Global

developed and developing nations and societies

• e.g. restriction on the emission of Carbon Dioxide of developed countries
• e.g. restriction on the disposal of electronic wastes to the developing countries

The WHO approach to health promotion and illness prevention

• Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion – fundamental conditions and resources for health are peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice and equity