Environmental health: Ecological perspectives.

Environmental health: Ecological perspectives.

Environmental scientists and government officials look for ways to preserve the environment and conserve environmental resources. By monitoring human demand on the environment, laws such as the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act have worked to protect the environment for future generations. While technology has created many problems for the environment, it is also being used to benefit the environment and human health. New farming techniques, waste management methods, and pollution control devices all help to keep the environment healthy and protect human health. Environmental health is everyone’s responsibility. Public health officials and governmental leaders are on the front lines, but the decisions made daily by businesses and individuals directly affect our health and the health of the environment.

References

Hilgenkamp, K. (2006). Environmental health: Ecological perspectives. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

World Health Organization. (2011). West nile virus. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs354/en/

World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. (2014). Environmental health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/environmental_health/en/

Demonstration of Proficiency

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Assess basic environmental health principles, theories, and issues.
  • Analyze an emerging or reemerging disease.
  • Describe how an emerging disease is transmitted.
  • Describe the incubation period of an emerging disease.
  • Describe how an emerging disease is treated.
  • Predict prognosis of recovery and residual effects of an emerging disease.
  • Assess the role of vaccines in disease prevention.
• Competency 4: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
  • Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Preparation

Select one emerging or reemerging disease to research for this report. Note: You may use the WHO Infectious Diseases and CDC websites (both linked in Resources: Diseases and Pathogens), which list a variety of relevant diseases.

Instructions

To begin, select one emerging or reemerging disease to research for this report.

Then, craft a 3–4-page report that analyzes the disease and addresses the following points:

• Provide a brief historical account of the disease selected. Consider why this disease is emerging or reemerging.
• What areas of the globe are currently affected by this disease?
• How is it transmitted?
• What is the incubation period?
• What is the treatment for this disease?
• What is the role of vaccines in combatting this disease? If there is no vaccine, why not?
• What is the predicted prognosis of recovery and residual effect?

Your report should be logically organized around a point you would like to make regarding the emerging or reemerging disease you select. Consider the MEAL Plan to help organize your thoughts:

• Main Idea: What is the main point or idea that you want your reader to remember about this disease?
• Evidence: What does the research say? Support your point with evidence from the literature you have researched. (This is where you would include facts about the history, transmission, incubation, treatment, and prevention of the disease. Refer to your sources when you provide your evidence.)
• Assess: Summarize main ideas from articles related to the disease. Apply health principles and theories that relate directly or indirectly to your main point. Make explicit links between source articles and your current report.
• Link: Integrate and combine information from your source articles to your main point or idea.