Hi, my name is Mighty Fine, I’m an expert with the American Public Health Association,
and today we’re going to talk about environmental
health.
In the early 20th century, Americans often drank dirty water, ate contaminated food and
dealt with infestations of disease-carrying animals.
So it may not surprise us to learn that cholera, typhoid and other infectious diseases — which
spread when things like bacteria or viruses infect one person and pass to another — were
the leading cause of death in the U.S. back then.
This was before antibiotics and widespread vaccination, so to prevent disease, the best
strategy to tackle these issues was to change the environment.
Which we did through a number of initiatives, like creating pest control programs, building
cleaner water systems and passing food safety laws.
And they worked!
From 1900 to 1940, U.S. deaths from infectious disease went down by more
than 75%.
This collection of initiatives grew into a branch of public health called environmental
health, which focuses on the relationships between
people and their environment to promote health and
well-being.
But as the U.S. has changed and the leading causes of death have shifted, the goals of
environmental health have broadened, too.
In the 21st century, environmental health monitors the natural environment—like air,
water, soil and food—and promotes health through the
built environment—like the safety of our housing,
transportation, roads and parks.
Environmental health is a national issue, but in practice, local governments are the
ones who take action because they have the clearest
picture of their communities’ needs and the most
direct power to respond to them.
That might mean inspecting a restaurant for food safety, measuring the amount of toxic
pollutants in our air, or identifying areas in the community where someone might get injured.
Local health officials may even consult with new homeowners and connect residents with
certified contractors to make their homes safer from things like lead exposure and asthma
triggers.
After all, our homes are a key part of our everyday environment.
But some problems are bigger in scale, so environmental health professionals need to
work with other sectors to help people get the resources
they need to live their healthiest lives.
Like by offering government subsidies to grocery stores or restaurants with healthy and
affordable food, so they can operate in low-income neighborhoods.
Or building well-maintained systems of sidewalks and bike lanes, which can encourage people
to walk, bike, or roll.
That means less local pollution from cars and a more active community.
Unfortunately, people’s health is often impacted by the racism that’s embedded in
our laws and society, which drives an unequal investment
in communities of color.
So white neighborhoods usually end up with the most well-maintained parks, the nicest
bike lanes and the positive health outcomes associated
with those resources.
Meanwhile, communities of color, foreign-born communities and low-income communities are
more likely to be exposed to the environmental hazards — like unsafe levels of lead in
drinking water and constant noise pollution.
Together, these environmental factors can cause health disparities, which are differences
in health that are rooted in unfair and unequal
access to resources.
In fact, a 2019 study found that our zip codes can predict certain health outcomes like obesity
or mental illness better than our genes.
And in cities across the nation, certain neighborhoods have life expectancies 10-30 years shorter
than neighborhoods only a few miles away.
According to APHA, to make sure everyone is living their healthiest lives, the U.S. should
strive for environmental justice, which is a movement
that seeks to eliminate the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on ethnic
minorities, low-income communities and other underserved groups.
So environmental justice can look like making sure the community approves the location and
safety measures for new developments, addressing active threats to health like poorly
maintained landfills and working with local residents on what they think will improve
their environment.
The end goal is for all people to be protected from environmental hazards and have equal
access to resources which promote healthy living.
So environmental health means paying attention to how all the places we work, play and live
are affecting people’s health—by monitoring
health threats, building better infrastructure and
involving the community in local decisions—to help ensure everyone’s health and well-being.
Thanks for watching!
This video is part of a series created by Complexly and the American
Public Health Association to shed a little light on the important work that public health
does.
To learn more, visit apha.org.