Seasonal hazards and health risks in lower-income countries: field testing a multi-disciplinary approach
| Autor: | Paul R. Hunter, Roger Few, Iain R. Lake, Vu Trong Thien, Pham Gia Tran |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2009 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis Health Behavior Developing country Climate change Context (language use) Environmental pollution 010501 environmental sciences 01 natural sciences lcsh:RC963-969 Risk Factors Environmental health Environmental monitoring medicine Water Pollutants Developing Countries Poverty Environmental planning 0105 earth and related environmental sciences 2. Zero hunger Flood myth Research lcsh:Public aspects of medicine Public health Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health lcsh:RA1-1270 Health Surveys 6. Clean water Geography Vietnam 13. Climate action lcsh:Industrial medicine. Industrial hygiene Interdisciplinary Communication Seasons Environmental Pollution Water Microbiology Environmental Monitoring |
| Zdroj: | Environmental Health, Vol 8, Iss Suppl 1, p S16 (2009) Environmental Health |
| ISSN: | 1476-069X |
| Popis: | Understanding how risks to human health change as a result of seasonal variations in environmental conditions is likely to become of increasing importance in the context of climatic change, especially in lower-income countries. A multi-disciplinary approach can be a useful tool for improving understanding, particularly in situations where existing data resources are limited but the environmental health implications of seasonal hazards may be high. This short article describes a multi-disciplinary approach combining analysis of changes in levels of environmental contamination, seasonal variations in disease incidence and a social scientific analysis of health behaviour. The methodology was field-tested in a peri-urban environment in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, where poor households face alternate seasonal extremes in the local environment as the water level in the Delta changes from flood to dry season. Low-income households in the research sites rely on river water for domestic uses, including provision of drinking water, and it is commonly perceived that the seasonal changes alter risk from diarrhoeal diseases and other diseases associated with contamination of water. The discussion focuses on the implementation of the methodology in the field, and draws lessons from the research process that can help in refining and developing the approach for application in other locations where seasonal dynamics of disease risk may have important consequences for public health. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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