Environmental Health

Environmental health deals with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect the health of a person. It addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors outside of the person, and all related factors affecting behaviour. It encompasses the assessment and control of environmental factors that can potentially affect the health of the people.

Areas of concern

There are five areas of concern in environmental health. These are:

• water, sanitation and hygiene: drinking water safety, excreta management, food sanitation, personal hygiene and safe water recreation;
• quality of the physical environment: control of outdoor and indoor air pollution, waste management, chemical safety and noise pollution control;
• health in specific settings such as in workplaces, public places and housing;
• emergency preparedness and response; and
• adaptation to climate change.

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