We have interactions with our environment day today without even having an inkling of how our environment affects our health. There are course obvious signs of what aspects of the environment have an impact on us as human beings that’s where environmental health comes in. Environmental health refers to the branch of public health that focuses on the interactions between people and their environment, and how these interactions can impact human health. It involves understanding and managing the effects of environmental factors on individuals and populations, to promote and protect human health.

Environmental health encompasses various aspects, including the assessment, control, and prevention of environmental hazards that can have adverse effects on human health. These hazards arise from natural sources, such as air and water pollution, as well as from human activities, such as industrial processes, waste disposal, and the use of chemicals.

Key areas of concern in environmental health include:

1. The quality of air. The air pollution caused by emissions from industries, vehicles, and other sources, as well as indoor air quality in homes and buildings, affects our health greatly.
2. Water quality is a key aspect of human health. Ensuring the safety of drinking water sources, protecting water bodies from contamination, and managing wastewater treatment and disposal.
3. Ensuring the safety and quality of food by monitoring production, processing, and distribution systems, and addressing issues related to foodborne illnesses and contaminants.
4. Assessing and managing exposure to toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, and other hazardous substances in the environment.
5. Waste Management through the implementation of proper waste disposal and recycling practices to minimize environmental contamination and health risks associated with improper waste handling.
6. Addressing the health impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, changes in disease patterns, and the effects of environmental degradation.

Where we live, what we eat, and how we interact with the world around us can tip the scales between healthy and not. Many environmental health factors are not something that can be exclusively managed at the individual level but it takes laws, policies, and programs at the local, federal, and international levels. For example in April 2023, NEMA raided and closed Oyster Bay restaurant in Kilimani, Nairobi over noise pollution. The closure order was issued after numerous visits and notices to the Bay, to no avail.

“We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment.“

– Margaret Mead