Harrisandbaker.com – Environmental health is a branch of public health that includes aspects of nature and the environment and has an impact on human health. In a 1999 document, the world health organization or the World Health Organization (WHO) defines environmental health as those aspects of human health and disease that are determined by environmental factors. It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing and controlling those that have the potential to affect health. That is the importance of environmental health to be studied in more detail.
Furthermore, IIK Public Health S1 Lecturer Bhakti Wiyata Marianingsih, S.KM., M.Kes, explained that environmental health is a science where we learn to protect environmental factors that can have a negative impact on the ecological balance (the relationship between humans and the environment). .
“Pollution of well water by E. Coli bacteria will become an environmental health problem if it causes the surrounding community who uses the water to get diarrhea,” explained the lecturer who also serves as the Co. Dep of Performance Planning and Revenue Generating, said.
In the Bachelor of Public Health course at IIK Bhakti Wiyata, you will meet the Basic Environmental Health course in semester 2. The presence of this environmental health course aims to create graduates who are swift in minimizing and dealing with new hazards from the environment. Let’s learn more about environmental health, below.
Environmental Health Goals
Discussing about environmental health is never ending because it is directly related to everyday life. Environmental health is one of the efforts in the health sector that is aimed at realizing a healthy environmental quality, physically, chemically, biologically and socially, which enables everyone to achieve maximum health status.
Therefore, people need to be made aware of the importance of good environmental health if you want to create a healthy and happy community. If they are able to maintain the environment properly and responsibly, disease can be avoided.
When the community succeeds in applying environmental health well, it creates an independent generation, especially financially. Because, a healthy soul and body can provide its own enthusiasm and focus at work. They will no longer be burdened with going to the doctor.
Benefits of Studying Environmental Health
Maria explained that learning about environmental health is the same as maintaining a healthy environment. With a healthy environment, people can get many benefits, among others.
1. Avoid Various Diseases
If you are diligent, you are smart, then you are clean, you are healthy. So maintaining the cleanliness of the surrounding environment is the same as maintaining a healthy body. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, maintaining the cleanliness of the environment such as residences, schools, houses of worship, and places of worship, people can avoid dengue fever and hepatitis A, as well as other diseases. “By studying Environmental Health, we can find out how good environmental conditions can support human health.” he said.
2. Relating to Mental Health
It turns out that not only physical health, a healthy environment is also related to one’s mental health. Based on several studies, spending a lot of time in an environment in green open spaces can help reduce levels of anxiety and depression.
3. Creating a Comfortable Living Environment
It is undeniable that a clean environment will make you more comfortable to live and stay for a long time. In general, a house is said to be healthy if it fulfills physiological needs (lighting, ventilation, sufficient space for movement, and avoiding noise) and psychological needs (adequate privacy and healthy communication). “We can protect the environment so that the quality is maintained,” added Maria.
Environmental Health Room.
In Indonesia, the scope of environmental health is explained in Law No. 23 of 1992 Article 22 Paragraph 3, covering 8 points as follows.
Water and air purification
Securing solid waste / garbage
Securing liquid waste
Waste gas protection
Radiation protection
Noise protection
Disease vector protection
Health and other safeguards, such as post-disaster conditions.
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