08 Ecology and Health

Highlights:

1. Ecological factors affecting health and well-being

Exhaustion of natural resources e.g. water, land, food

Global warming

Alter the pattern of exposure of vector-borne infections include malaria and dengue fever

Forms of Pollution and their impact on health

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

Reading:

Application:

Coming Soon

Assessment Task:
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2. Actions at different levels

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

Relationships between developed and developing nations and societies
- Example(1): Emission of Carbon Dioxide
- Example(2): Electronic Wastes
The WHO approach to health promotion and illness prevention
- The 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