Towards a Global Perspective of Environmental Health: Defining the Research Grounds of an Institute of Environmental Health

Abstract

Environmental health is at the intersection between health and the environment. However, it still has a recent (and narrow) history as a scientific area, mainly addressing human biomonitoring and toxicological issues. Only recently additional environmental ‘layers’, other than the traditional chemical, biological and physical environmental determinants, have been considered. This broader perspective of environmental health also encompasses digital, psychosocial, political, socioeconomic and cultural determinants, all of them relevant when considering human health from a planetary health paradigm. This reflects the progressive adoption of a systemic perspective regarding the impact of gains for human health and well-being towards a sustainable environment. It also implies a multi-method and participatory approach to understand the intertwined relationship between environmental changes and human health. In this paper, the broader approach to environmental health is discussed in order to ‘set the stage’ for introducing the Institute of Environmental Health (ISAMB) of the Lisbon School of Medicine, Portugal. Each of the research groups and labs that compose ISAMB are presented, as well as their main lines of research. Present and planned contributions of ISAMB to advance knowledge on environmental health and for promoting human health gains in an environmentally sustainable way are also discussed.

Indicadores sociodemográficos aplicados a la sindemia COVID-19

“…Coincidimos con los autores, debido a que la densidad poblacional aumenta la presión de la infección. Virgolino et al (2020) trabajan para sugerir una perspectiva global sobre la salud ambiental. Esta perspectiva más amplia de la salud ambiental, según los autores, también engloba determinantes digitales, psicosociales, políticos, socioeconómicos y culturales, todos ellos relevantes al considerar la salud humana desde un paradigma de salud planetaria.…”

Establishing the National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, India

“…The National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, established by the Indian government in 2010, is unique in being one of the few institutes in South-East Asia solely dedicated to environmental health research, a topic that has only recently begun to be addressed within the wider scientific community. 7 Here we describe setting up the institute and its work.…”

Os Desafios Da Saúde Ambiental No Currículo De Ciências Do Ensino Fundamental Anos Finais, No Estado Do Tocantins

“…Environmental Health refers to problems connected to physical, chemical, biological and ecological components that make up the natural world and interfere with human health (ORDOÑEZ, 2000;WEIHS;MERTENS, 2013).…”

“…After the environmental movement and the conferences held on environment and health promotion, Environmental Health gained greater notoriety. Today, it is focused on the "planetary health" paradigm, which also encompasses digital, psychosocial, political, socioeconomic and cultural determinants (VIRGOLINO et al, 2020). It can be inferred that Environmental Health is a two-way street, because the relationships that man establishes, when e-ISSN nº 2447-4266 Palmas, v. 8, n. 1, p. 1-23, 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.2447-4266.2022v8n1a5en 2 implementing his professional, industrial, recreational activities, interfere with the environment, which, in turn, interfere with human health (WEXLER, 2013).…”