Health and the environment : understanding the linkages and synergies

In 1994, the World Health Organization defined environmental health as the discipline that refers to all aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by the physical, chemical, biological, social, psychological and aesthetic factors of our environment. Environmental stressors are from natural or manmade origin and can be found in air, water, soil dust, food and other manufactured products, among other media. The environment may also offer conditions that are beneficial to health and well-being; exposure can occur at home, at work, while commuting or in mother's womb and may cumulate over time, with often delayed health effects. While personal behaviours may influence exposure to some stressors, the general rule is that one has little control on the quality of one’s environment. Geographic, economic, social and political factors are the main determinants of population exposure. A consequence is that important differences in risks and benefits in relation with the environment exist across places and groups. This chapter reviews how public health, at local, national or world levels, is largely impacted by environmental factors and how public policies may alleviate, or aggravate, the health consequences of the current world economy pattern that deeply alters the environment.