Tehran – Environmental health is the cornerstone of community health and a valuable opportunity to consider the importance of a healthy environment and its important role in ensuring human health and well-being, health ministry officials say.
In situations where air pollution has become a serious health hazard in large cities and industrial areas and contributed to most of premature deaths around the world, it is important to adopt a scientific sector approach to reduce air pollutant emissions and improve air quality through clean energy.
Officials made a statement during World Environmental Health Day, which is celebrated every year on September 26th.
Raeisi praised the efforts of environmental hygiene experts and managers, and expressed his hopes to improve environmental health by leveraging modern technology and the expertise of medical universities.
This year, the theme of World Environmental Health Day, “clean air, healthy people,” highlights the role of air quality in promoting public health. The focus of the day is to promote awareness and action regarding the effects of clean air on public health, air pollution, climate change and respiratory disease.
Air pollution contributes to respiratory disease, heart disease and climate change. Everyone needs to play a role in reducing air pollution and advocating for a clean air policy. Sustainable practices and policies can reduce the impact of air pollution and improve the health and well-being of people.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy environment can prevent nearly a quarter of the global disease burden.
The ongoing environmental crisis has had a major impact on health as climate change is intensifying, biodiversity is declining and pollution is ubiquitous. The health effects of poor environmental conditions occur not only directly but indirectly through the effects on food production, movement, economic instability and social inequality.
Emergency action is needed to change how we live, work, produce, consume and govern. Intensifying major prevention is essential given the significant reduction in the disease burden it can provide and the potential savings in healthcare costs and resources. Intersectoral collaboration is important to address environmental determinants of health, including health, energy, industry, agriculture and transportation sectors. Integrating actions across these sectors often leads to significant joint benefits and cost savings.
Air Pollution
Sources of particulate emissions include a variety of combustion activities (e.g. automobiles, power plants, materials) and specific industrial processes. These particles are released as direct or secondary contaminants in the atmosphere.
Generally, the main causes of particulate matter emissions are fuel combustion such as coal and wood combustion, diesel engines, industrial and agricultural processes, and vehicle emissions. Suspended particles generally affect air quality during colder months.
Numerous scientific studies on particles have shown that exposure to particles causes many health problems, including heart and lung disease, non-fatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeats, lung cancer, worsening asthma, reduced lung function, increased respiratory symptoms, reduced obesity rates, and early death of the ultimate patient to the ultimate decrease to the fetal decline.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Health, Iran’s air pollution leads to 50,000 deaths each year, of which 7,000 occur in Tehran.
Air pollution also accounted for 2,029 and 661 deaths in Isfahan and Arak, respectively. The cost of air pollution for Isfahan’s health system is $796 million, equivalent to $2564 million in Arak.
Environmental regulations, strict law enforcement, and the development of renewable energy are essential to curbing air pollution.
Improved public health through the development of public awareness of the harmful effects of pollution and training, improving waste management systems, and developing sewage, water treatment, and health services in disadvantaged areas are other effective measures to address air pollution.
Therefore, policies to reduce air pollution provide strategies that are beneficial to both climate and health, reduce the burden of diseases caused by air pollution, and contribute to near and long-term mitigation of climate change.
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