THEME: GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH: STANDING UP TO PROTECT EVERYONE'S HEALTH EACH AND EVERY DAY
Global environmental public health involves the health of our natural environment, including; air, water, vegetation, animals, and humans. It is worthy of note that, just the way our lifestyle choices, actions and inactions affect the environment, so also does the health of the environment have an impact on us as a part of the ecosystem. Our relationship with our environment is a vice versa one, and every action has a significant effect in the big scheme of things.
Despite the individual and collective efforts of government and non-government bodies, environmental organisations and individual volunteers to protect nature and encourage sustainability, the following are precise statistics that highlight how unsustainable living negatively impacts us and the people around us.
According to the World Health Organization (2016);
• "23% of all estimated global deaths are linked to environmental risks” such as land and air pollution, water contamination and chemical exposure.
• Environmental issues including, soil pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and biodiversity loss, "account for more than 12.6 million deaths each year."
• "More than 100 illnesses and injuries can be directly linked to environmental health concerns."
Exposure to pollutants can have adverse effects on humans, this includes; "developmental delays, behavioural problems, and even lower IQ in children. In older people, pollutants are associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease."
These issues directly affect some people more than others. Poorer communities that already suffer significant healthcare challenges are mostly affected.
However, this year's World Environmental Day theme: Standing up to protect everyone's health each and every day, is a call to be your brother's keeper. Better still, it is a call to be your children's keeper.
The last decade was the hottest in human history and we are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, with wildfires, floods and hurricanes becoming regular events that threaten lives, livelihoods and food security. Climate change also affects the survival of microbes, facilitating the spread of viruses. If no action is taken, pandemics are likely to occur more frequently, spread more rapidly, have greater economic impact and kill more people.
Don't just think of you and now, think of what Earth's condition would be for your children and the generations after them. Think of how your actions and inactions today, would impact them. Think sustainability.
Happy World Environmental Health Day!
— IyanuOluwa
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