The Canadian Community Health Nursing defines environmental health as such features that influence people’s health for instance the choice of life that significantly depends on factors ranging from physical through chemical to biological, all of which surround them (10). Water being one of the key components of our environment has a significant effect on human health especially as human life cannot be supported without water and neither can health be sustained in the presence of contaminated water. More recently, a report by the UN water development report revealed the case it stands on the ground where water-caused diseases are posing a threat to the lives of people with the majority losing their lives as a result.
Water is crucial for many bodily functions our bodies consist of around 70 percent water nearly all bodily functions such as blood pressure, liver, kidneys, limbs and digestive system need water to function in the best possible way. Taking into consideration the importance of water and its effect it is relatively easy to contaminate clean water or even consume contaminated water without knowing. Water, as an environmental health issue, affects human health, as it can be a carrier of a variety of diseases. The fact that water is interrelated with other environmental aspects such as soil and air qualifies as a transmitter of diseases and viruses that would move from one environmental factor to another in essence the web of Causation (Baibi and Chen 654). The recognition of the effect of the epidemiological triangle is quite crucial, as people ought to realize the interrelationship of the host, environment and agent in the process of spreading diseases and the effect that a change in any of the elements can have in the enhancement of the disease.
People in places where there is poor sanitation or the possibility of water contamination either through chemicals, mining or industrial waste are exposed to water-borne diseases suffer from diseases like diarrhoeal with at least 6,000 deaths cases registered, children taking the highest share of the issue (Nagata 12). However, there exist several recommendations I wish to put in place. Firstly, one should educate himself as well as others. One can access great resource pages to read, print them out and give out different issues relating to water. People should be water conscious. Everything relates to water, as it makes up many of the foodstuffs that they use on a daily basis. In addition, they should make environmentally smart choices in their daily lives in terms of products by eating products that come from agriculture that respects the environment and uses little pesticides, chemicals and less water than intensive agriculture. One should think of mapping his/her local water resources by creating a map with scientific, cultural, historical, wildlife, observations of where there are problems or local stories relating to a river or lake. This is a good tool to not only keep a record of what this water means to his/her community, but to educate others and to see where there are problems, and what needs to be done to ensure the protection of the resource and yourself. With the information and trends, one can monitor disease outbreaks and symptoms keep a record and report to the appropriate medical authorities on health so that they can assist in their decision-making. Further, he/she can monitor the number of patients treated for waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, bacillary dysentery, polio, meningitis, hepatitis A and E and diarrhea, among others. These are diseases caused by dirty water, and most can be prevented by treating water before use.
These recommendations are in line with the Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice, which is to build individual and community capacity (15). By learning more on environmental and health effects on water and people as well as being on the lookout to the changes in the community and environment, people can be keen observers of the disease and symptom patterns it hence easier to detect an outbreak well before it becomes unmanageable. According to a report by Scientific American in 2009 rural well drinking water was directly linked to Parkinson’s disease following research in the U.S.A at California’s s central valley involving over 700 people with indications of groundwater contamination from pesticides.
Works Cited
Baibi, Zuu, and Chen, Hong. The Relationship between the Skeletonema Coastatum and the Red Tide Environmental Factors. Journal of Coastal Research 25.3 (2009): 651-658.
Canadian Community Health Nursing. Standards of Practice. Toronto, Ontario: Eglinton Avenue Street, 2008.
Nagata, Valeggia. Criticisms of Chlorination. Rev Panam Salud Publica 29.1 (2011): 9-16.