Enviromental health
Module 1. Environmental health and the burden
of disease
Inhoud
• Gezondheid
• Volksgezondheid
• Milieugezondheid
Gezondheid = Gezondheid is een toestand van volledig fysiek, mentaal en sociaal welzijn en niet
louter de afwezigheid van ziekte of gebrek (WHO)
Delen die de gezondheid bepalen
Benaderingen tot gezondheid
• Individueel niveau: health care
professionals (doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists, etc.)
• Population level: public health = health of a whole population
Public health = The art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health
through the organized efforts of society (WHO)
5 domeinen van publieke gezondheid
- Health protection
- Surveillance
- Health services
- Disease prevention
- Health promotion
1. Surveillance
The process used to collect, manage, analyze, interpret, and report information on the status of
diseases, conditions, or populations
Surveillance => wie is ziek, wanneer is iemand ziek, waar is iemand ziek
,Establish health objectives and priorities: Wat moet men doen voor een gezondere populatie
- Where?
- Who?
- When?
2. Health services
Health services cover a wide range of services and provide care for people from birth to the end of
their life.
3. Disease prevention
3 delen van preventie
- Primair => wat te doen voordat men de ziekte krijgen vb COVID: was je handen, masker
dragen enz.
- Secundairy => vroege diagnose zodat er snel iets gedaan aan kan worden
- Tertiair => progressie van de ziekte te vertragen
4. Health promotion
Empowering people to be more healthy
Waarom is het belangrijk om eerder de fiets te nemen dan de auto
5. Health protection
Meest relevant met enviromental
health vb waterquality, air quality,
…
Lucht kwaliteit meten
Levels van PM2,5 in de lucht van
België => halen de doelstellingen
van de EU maar niet die van de
WHO
Environmental health = Environmental health” covers all physical, chemical and (non-infectious)
biological factors external to the human body, which may affect health
Diet determines the health vb High intake of fatty acids leeds to Obesity, cardio-vascular diseases
Environment with acrylamide leeds to low birth weight and maybe cancer
Disciplines
, • Environmental toxicology (ET): study of causal mechanisms between exposure and
subsequent development of disease in animal models or cells.
• Environmental (and occupational) epidemiology: study of associations between exposure to
environmental/occupational agents and subsequent development of disease in populations.
observeren wat er gebeurt met mensen die wonen in een bepaalde delen die een slechtere
luchtkwaliteit hebben in samenwerking met ET
• Health protection: sub-discipline of public health that has the objective of minimizing the
exposure to health hazards in order to protect the population by ensuring environmental,
occupational, toxicological and food safety
indien EE en ET in overeenkomst komen wordt dat hier doorgegeven
• Policy: legislation to protect the population. => beleid is nodig
Environmental health” covers all physical, chemical and (non-infectious) biological factors external to
the human body, which may affect health.
1.1 Historical case studies
Belgium: The Meuse Valley fog of December 1930
- Industrialization did fog arising in the valley
- Correlation between fog and health of the people who lived there
- 10 times higher mortality rate than normal
What was the cause of symptoms and death?
- Fumes, gases and dusts released by the local industry ( ~30 substances)
- SO2 was the only one released at enough concentration to cause symptoms and death.
Why the Meuse Valley?
Meteorology:
- Anticyclonic conditions (high atmospheric pressures)
- Very feeble (1–3 km/h) easterly wind (from Liège into the valley).
- Temperature inversion above the chimneys in the valley
, - Een temperatuursinversie komt voor als de temperatuur vanaf een bepaalde hoogte
begint te stijgen. Normaal daalt de temperatuur met de hoogte. Zo'n inversielaag
gedraagt zich als een plafond waaronder de luchtverontreiniging gevangen zit.
The London fog of December 1952
1 particular week where the mortality rate increased enormously during this London fog
This type of fog is typically a
dense, yellowish fog caused
by air pollution, particularly
from coal burning. The
combination of moisture in
the air and pollutants can
create a thick, persistent fog
that can significantly reduce
visibility.
Investigation of 12 asthma outbreaks in Barcelona
(1981 – 1986)
Soybean unload: Cause of asthma due to soybeans
Cover discharges so that fine dust is not released
1.2 Environmental pollution and the burden of disease
Pollution
“…unwanted, often dangerous, material that is introduced into the Earth’s environment as the result
of human activity, that threatens human health, and that harms ecosystems.”
• Air pollution
• Soil pollution
• Water pollution
• Occupational pollution
• Total pollution
Burden of disease:
• Premature deaths (all and by cause)
• DALYs (disability-adjusted life-year
DALYs (disability-adjusted life-year).
o Summary metric of population health or burden of disease.
o Comparable across countries