Summary

In this study session, you have learned that:

1. The historical perspectives show us that hygiene and sanitation have a deep-rooted origin. The practice of hygiene and sanitation is part of our daily life.
2. There are differences between hygiene, sanitation and environmental health. While hygiene focuses on individual personal hygiene/cleanliness, sanitation often refers to waste management, and environmental health has a broader meaning beyond hygiene and sanitation, referring to where we live, work and play. The focus of environmental health is on how environmental risk factors affect human health.
3. Environmental health plays a major role in the prevention and control of communicable diseases caused by pathogens, such as diarrhoea, and other diseases and conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused through inhalation of air pollution.
4. There are various environmental health risks that affect our health. These include water and air pollution, food contamination and the disposal of wastes into our environment.
5. The interaction between humans and the environment has various forms. Urbanisation, industrialisation and development are the major forms of interaction. We should remember and try to control the disadvantages of development and not focus only on the benefits.
6. Environmental health planning requires you to gain knowledge of problems in your area and to identify needs and gaps, to set priorities and find resources to solve the problems.