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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The environment in which we live represents a major determinant of our health and well-being. The complex human-animal-ecosystem interface imposes an increasing risk to public health with population health influenced by the interaction of multiple environmental determinants. Recognizing how the environment influences human health and disease allows us to identify the most relevant risk factors and the most suitable measures to mitigate environmental factors that adversely affect human health and ecological systems. Climate change represents a major threat to human health, and it is nowadays undermining every dimension of global health monitored, increasing the fragility of the global systems, and increasing the vulnerability of populations, with a special emphasis on the already most vulnerable. The world is now facing frequent extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, droughts, and hurricanes. Rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns also affect the seasonality and geographic range of many infectious diseases, particularly those transmitted by vectors. Predictably, air quality will be negatively impacted, leading to an increase in the burden of noncommunicable diseases. Biological and chemical contaminants in food are also impacted by climate change, modifying their virulence, occurrence, and distribution patterns, which may increase the risk of human exposure to foodborne hazards. Agricultural productivity and clean water availability may decrease, resulting in malnutrition, foodborne illnesses, and waterborne diseases, endangering food security and safety. The transition to more sustainable and healthier diets constitutes a significant challenge for human populations already under the pressure of climate change-associated events but is considered one of the solutions to tackle this global threat.
Description
Keywords
Environmental health Determinants of health Occupational health Burden of disease Risk assessment NOVA National School of Public Health
Citation
Martins C, Alho AM, Dias M, Pena P, Cervantes R, Viegas S, et al. Environmental determinants of health: NOVA National School of Public Health research to tackle ongoing threats and challenges. Port J Public Health. 2024;42(1):74-80.
Publisher
Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública