In a world driven by a rapidly changing lifestyle and consumption patterns, growth inequalities, and the threat of global climate change, public health and the environment are increasingly being seen as an important aspect of societal health and well-being. A healthy environment is critical for human health, growth and development. The existing challenges before us are currently inadequate in reducing environmental risks to health and supporting a healthier environment. It is, therefore, imperative that a strategic focus integrating elements of urban waste-related issues, health, environment and climate change must be created to effectively deal with global health.
According to WHO, global environmental factors are responsible for a large and ongoing burden of disease, causing nearly 13 million deaths each year. Environmental risks include air and water pollution, climate change, improper disposal of waste, lack of access to healthy and nutritious food, and exposure to toxic and polluted agri-based products in the value chain. Traditional public health risks like unsafely managed water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene pose a serious challenge to health equity. This also has serious implications for public health issues like waste resource management, environmental pollution and climate factors. Healthcare facilities generate various types of waste, including hazardous materials, medical waste, pharmaceutical waste, and general waste, all of which must be managed appropriately to prevent harm to public health, the environment, and the healthcare system's financial sustainability.
In recent times, the impact of climate change has also increased the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, droughts, extreme rainfall and severe cyclones in many areas and modifying the transmission of food-borne, water-borne and zoonotic infectious diseases, resulting in large impacts on health. Adaption of environmental microbes with higher temperatures due to global warming induces the transition of environmental microbes into human pathogens and increases the emergence of new bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Additionally, urbanization and displacement due to extreme climate events strain public health systems and financial resources, leading to weak adaptation and resilience mechanisms amongst vulnerable communities of society. Innovative bioengineering and adaptive public health strategies to build resilience against the growing threat of climate change are needed. The growing discourse on the vital relationship between public health and the environment is further exemplified by the need for healthy nutrition and dietetics for public health. In particular, addressing malnutrition in low-resource settings and rising non-communicable diseases like obesity and diabetes globally can severely impact good health and well-being resulting in challenges of feeding a growing economy. Poor access to healthy dietary resources due to climate change can contribute to many health challenges. In this regard, bioengineering offers solutions such as fortified foods, personalized nutrition, and sustainable food production through climate adaptation mechanisms.
Addressing public health, waste management, climate issues, nutrition and food-related issues will have significant economic and environmental benefits for an efficient and healthier urban environment, a low-carbon economy, and in building a resilient and healthier food system for a sustainable future.
This Conference track on Environmental Engineering for Public Health will deliberate on some of the contemporary issues concerning public health and its key linkages with the external environment. Some of the key outcomes that are expected to emerge through the keynote speeches, track deliberations, scientific paper presentations, and policy papers will include the following:-
- Current status and review of health care waste management systems in urban and rural environments.
- Impact of Climate Change in spread of air and waterborne infections in the communities.
- Impact of warming on emergence and spread of novel bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens.
- Status and review of regional impacts of climate change on health.
- Promotion of potential health benefits of climate change mitigation actions.
- Establishing local-level linkages between air pollution, climate change and other environmental health determinants.
- Critical importance of building climate resilient health care systems strengthening health system resilience to climate risks and greening health care facilities.
- Improving human health and well-being through building a resilient global food system.
- Establishing environmental health related policy advocacy, institutional and governance mechanisms.