Defining public health & water issues

Defining Public Health &

Water Issues

Lokhaze AliVisiting Faculty

NICE, SCEE, NUST

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Thought of the Day

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Public Health

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Public Health

• Public Health consists of organized efforts to improve the health of communities

• The operative components of this definition are that public health efforts are organized and directed to communities rather than to individuals

• Central Goal for Communities– The reduction of diseases– Improvement of health

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The Future of Public HealthInstitute of Medicine (IOM)

Organized community effort to address the public interest in health by applying scientific and technical knowledge to prevent disease and promote health

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Public Health Activities

• Prevent epidemics• Protects the environment, workplaces, housing, food

and air• Monitors health status of population• Mobilizes community action• Responds to disasters• Assures quality, accessibility and accountability of

medical care• Reaches out to link high-risk and hard to reach people

to needed services• Researches to develop new insights and innovative

solutions • Leads the development of sound health policy and

planning

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Ten Great Public Health Achievements

• VaccinesSmallpox, Measles, Rabies, Typhoid, Cholera, Plague

• Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard

• Motor Vehicle SafetySeat Belts, Helmets

• Safer Workplaces40% decrease in fatal occupational injuries (since 1980)

• Control of Infectious DiseasesImproved Water and Wastewater Supply Line

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Ten Great Public Health Achievements

• Fewer deaths from heart disease and strokes

51% decrease in death rates, blood pressure control, early detection, better treatment

• Safer and Healthier Foods• Healthier mothers and babies

Reduced infant mortality by 90% and maternal mortality by 99%

• Family Planning• Public Health Preparedness and Response

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Life Expectancy

Male

Female

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Water Issues

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Water Issues

Water plays a fundamental role in the green economy as it interacts with poverty, food security, health and so many other sustainable development issues.

Priority water-related issues1. Agriculture2. Industry3. Cities4. Watersheds

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Agriculture

• 70% of global water withdrawals

• provides employment for 40% of the global population

Challenges:• Water scarcity and water

quality degradation trends• Rising food prices• Vulnerability of small-scale

farmers• Growing population, food

production and dietary habits

• Inefficient use of water• Non-point source pollution

of water, land and coastal areas

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Approaches to address agricultural challenges

Coping with these challenges will require• adaptations in agricultural

practices, food production chains, food markets, land management

• water management practices, including pollution control

• information and knowledge, institutional capacities

• water governance

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Industry

• critical for the delivery goods and services

• creation of job opportunities to foster poverty alleviation and the improvement of living standards

Challenges:• Excessive use and

contamination of freshwater

• Low labor productivity and a limited capacity for innovation in developing countries

• Inefficient and unsustainable production and promotion of unnecessary consumption

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Approaches to address industry challenges

Coping with these challenges requires• Advances in regulatory

frameworks• a better normative

framework focused on adapting manufacturing practices to the objectives of a green economy

• voluntary agreements • proper incentives

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Cities

• Developments in cities have far-reaching effects upon the world’s economies, energy use and climate change

Challenges:• Adequate water and

sanitation facilities for growing urban population

• Meeting basic needs in slum areas

• Water pollution• Water loss in supply

systems• Water price

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Approaches to address cities’ challenges

Coping with these challenges requires• building institutional capacities

and governance to enhance the sustainability of urban development

• the recognition of the importance of natural capital and ecosystems services for a more harmonic integration among urban and rural areas

• awareness-raising• social involvement and leadership

to make the objectives of green urban development the focus and the identity of cities

• sustainable urban water management

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Watersheds

• Freshwater ecosystems provide services that are crucial for human survival, supporting the economy and for the conservation of natural capital

Challenges:• Environmental

degradation and loss of freshwater ecosystems

• Overexploitation of water resources

• Climate change• Lack of information and

monitoring• Weak participatory

processes

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Approaches to address watersheds’ challenges

• Investing in the recovery and the adequate protection of natural capital and freshwater ecosystems

• Ecosystem conservation• Integrated Water

Resources Management• Development of resilient

and adaptive social responses to extreme events and climate change

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The Tools

1. Economic instruments

2. Sustainable financing

3. Investments in natural capital

4. Technology5. Green jobs6. Water planning

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Enabling Conditions

• Institutional capacity

• Political will• Good governance• Long-term

integrated perspective

• Consensus at all levels

• Knowledge sharing

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Photo of the Week Unicef Pakistan

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Thank You

lokhaze@hotmail.comCell: 0345-5077775