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Understanding Community and Environmental Health

Sep 20, 2024

Lecture Notes: Community and Environmental Health

Introduction

  • Focus on community and environmental health in first quarter.
  • Objective: Understand the importance of a healthy community.

Key Concepts

Community vs. Environment

  • Community: Sociological group in a shared environment, including individuals and families.
  • Environment: The surroundings where individuals and families reside.

Characteristics of a Healthy Community (WHO, 2002)

  • Clean and safe physical environment.
  • Meets everyone's basic needs.
  • Promotes social harmony and active involvement.
  • Understanding of local health and environment issues.
  • Participatory problem-solving about local issues.
  • Access to diverse experiences and communication.
  • Accessible health services and facilities.
  • Promotion of historical and cultural heritage.
  • Diverse and innovative economy.
  • Sustainable use of resources.

Refuse Materials

Types of Refuse

  1. Rubbish: Waste materials like bottles, cans, papers, metal, etc.
  2. Garbage: Leftover food materials from kitchens/establishments.
  3. Yard Cuttings: Leaves, branches, grass from gardens.
  4. Street Night Soil: Human waste wrapped and discarded.
  5. Stable Manure: Animal waste from farms or stables.
  6. Ashes: Residues from fires, cooking, incineration.

Waste Management: RA No. 9003

  • Reduce: Cut back on amount of trash produced.
  • Reuse: Find new uses for items instead of discarding.
  • Recycle: Convert waste into reusable materials.
  • Composting: Natural decomposition of organic waste.

Environmental Problems

Types of Pollution

  1. Air Pollution: Alteration of air properties due to harmful materials.
    • Harmful chemicals include Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Lead, Nitrogen Dioxide, Particulates.
  2. Land Pollution: Caused by solid wastes not easily broken down.
    • Wastes are classified as biodegradable (can decompose) and non-biodegradable (cannot decompose).
  3. Water Pollution: Changes in water quality impairing purity.
    • Causes diseases like cholera, diphtheria, diarrhea.
  4. Noise Pollution: Excessive sound causing health issues like stress and hearing loss.

Assignments

  • Health Module 1: Complete all exercises (Let's try, Let's recall, etc.).
  • Health Module 2: Complete designated exercises.
  • Health Module 3: Answer specified sections.
  • Module 4: No activities required.

Submission Instructions

  • Submit answers via Google Form links or answer sheet sent through chat.

End of Lecture

  • Ensure completion of all modules for this week.
  • Thank you for listening. See you in the next lesson.

Full transcript