Environtmental and Global Health

Posts Tagged ‘World Health Organization’

Human health is increasingly determined by environmental conditions (Rapport et al 1999, McMichael 2001). A report by the World Health Organization (WHO 1997) revealed the following:

* Deteriorating environmental conditions are an important factor contributing to poor health and low quality of life. Mismanagement of natural resources, excessive waste production and environmental conditions associated with health effects pose major challenges to sustainable development. Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. federal government are on their way to enact a law. This would define organic products in four categories:

“100% organic” are those products without organic ingredients.
“Organic” for products with 95% of the ingredients organic.
“Made with organic products” for products made between 50 and 95% organic ingredients.
“Products with less than 50%” organic ingredients, you must specify in each ingredient that is organic.
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According to the Ministry of Education and Science this year is expected to more than half a million school children can be affected by lice, or what we commonly call “catch lice.” This type of infection, contrary to what one thinks, is not related to the lack of personal hygiene but on the contrary, these insects prefer clean hair and especially those of girls and women. Although there may be itchy if Pediculus humans because they only produce itching in 50% of cases

Improved implementation according to the World Health Organization is permethrin, using wire brush to remove the nits and eggs by passing the hair strand by strand for 20 minutes.

Once the lice are gone should prevent its recurrence, boiling hats and headbands for at least 10 minutes, wash clothes where they could be accommodated and even stuffed animals or objects to keep the same texture in bags up to two weeks after his disappearance.

It is very important to stress the need not manage to prevent louse products they do not have this preventive effect and only increase the resistance, the best preventive measure is thorough and frequent inspection of children’s hair when they are in school term so we can start treatment as there is an infestation. You have to brush your hair with the nit. The drugs are more effective against adult forms of eggs for none (or permethrin 1% to 2% or 1% malathion or lindane to 0.5% are common biocides) has 100% ovicidal activity. To remove any nits fertilized treatment must be repeated at 7-10 days. Read the rest of this entry »

Urbanization and health. These are the two main axes which has turned this year’s World Health Day held Thursday April 7

The reason is to commemorate this date because on that day in 1948 came into force the Constitution of the World Health Assembly, which was signed by 61 countries and thus was formed the World Health Organization (WHO). The aim was to remember how important it is to support people from all over the world in the care and health protection.

“1,000 cities, 1,000 lives” is the slogan that the World Health Organization has chosen for this edition, which recalls that urbanization does not have to be at odds with healthy living. This year, for the first time in history is achieved by the fact that 50% of the population lives in urban areas.

Global objectives of the campaign

The main objectives this year WHO has set the pass to open public spaces to health. Activities in parks, town meetings, campaigns cleaning of the streets closed to traffic are some of the proposals to be developed along these days in different cities around the world.

The personal part will also fit into this initiative, “A thousand lives” will bring together a thousand stories of urban health promoters that developed through their work have made considerable impact on the health of cities.

The development is presented as a public health challenge

Urbanization is an emerging phenomenon, according to recent studies it is expected that population growth over the next 30 years will occur in urban areas, affecting issues such as water, environment, violence and injuries and non communicable diseases communicable diseases and their risk factors such as snuff consumption, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity … and so much more. Read the rest of this entry »

Education Foundation for Health (FUNDADEPS) recently published World Atlas of Health in collaboration with AstraZeneca Foundation and the Foundation SM.En brief will be presented from official. Analyze health conditions in which they live more than 600 million people in nearly 200 countries has been a major challenge but the result is amazing.

To get the updated information the authors have relied on official statistics from the Organization of the United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The Atlas is divided into three blocks. The first section entitled “General Development Mapping” shows the level of socioeconomic development of the various populations since this level so powerfully affects the lives of individuals and determines the health status of different populations. In this section we show by example, maps that refer to life expectancy at birth, education and income per capita. Imbalances between the world’s States are impressive. In 2005, Luxembourg ranked first in terms of income with more than 62,000 dollars of GDP per capita in Sierra Leone only reached 548 U.S. dollars per capita, providing 57% of population below one dollar a day income .

The second group called “Health in the world today” provides a true diagnosis of current health inequalities between countries. In this block we show how sick and dying people with a section which analyzes diseases in the world (the prevalence of HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria) and non-communicable diseases (cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer). In this section there is something that has surprised me: Although we tend to think that non-communicable diseases become apparent in the rich or developed countries, the reality is the opposite. A World Bank report shows that 80% of deaths for this type of diseases recorded in 2005 occurred in low-income countries and media.

The last block, called “Great challenges of global health,” shows that we should practice healthy habits to improve health in the world. Increased life expectancy is, without doubt, one of the greatest achievements of mankind. We must bear in mind that this aging process will not stop, causing a tremendous impact on society and health care. Here are tips on healthy habits to age with quality of life: eat well and have an active lifestyle, prevent smoking, avoiding risk behaviors, mental health care and protect our environment which in turn is a Protector health.

Freshwater pollution problem known since antiquity. One of the first historical evidence is the story of Scripture on one of the ten plagues of Egypt, which describes the transformation in “blood” from the Nile river water, a biological phenomenon because of contamination caused by microorganisms.

With increasing population and the emergence of industrial water pollution of rivers, lakes and even ground water continues to rise. Pollution caused by domestic and industrial waste, deforestation and land-use practices, significantly reduce the availability of water that can be used.
WHO and water pollution

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