Over the ages, human societies have altered local ecosystems and modified regional climates. Today, the human influence has attained a global scale. This reflects the recent rapid increase in population size, energy consumption, intensity of land use, international trade and travel, and other human activities. These global changes have heightened awareness that the long-term good health of populations depends on the continued stability and ...
This volume distills what is known about environmental health during an emergency or disaster. It draws on results from the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and on experience with sustainable development between the two Earth Summits, in Rio de Janeiro and Johannesburg. It is intended for practitioners, as well as for policy-makers and researchers, and thus covers both general and technical aspects of environmental health. In ...
This second edition of WHO's water sanitation and health electronic library compiles information available from the World Health Organization on the theme. It includes many of the current publications and documents in HTML format, and some other resource materials such as posters in PDF format. The CD-ROM is key to increasing global access to information and has world-wide relevance. Information will be accessible particularly for developing ...
This book evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by arsenic and arsenic compounds. Arsenic is widely distri-buted in the earth's crust and is emitted into the atmosphere by coal-fired power generation plants and volcanic activity. Inorganic arsenic of geological origin is found in groundwater used as drinking-water in several parts of the world, e.g., Bangladesh. In these areas, drinking-water is the main source of arsenic ...
This Addendum to the second edition of the Guidelines for drinking-water quality contains reviews of a number of pathogens that occur widely in water - Aeromonas and Legionella spp., Vibrio cholerae, enteric hepatitis viruses, and protozoan parasites (Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Cyclospora spp.). These review documents supersede, and are more comprehensive than, those previously published in Volumes 1 and 2 of the Guidelines.Unlike the an
This manual presents in detail the principles of problem-based learning for the development of professional capacities to deal with issues of an intersectoral nature. Health is a cross-cutting issue in the development activities of many other public sectors. Both health sector professionals and professionals in the other sectors require to develop skills allowing them to successfully engage in intersectoral negotiations and action during project ...
Health is determined by many factors, including income, environmental conditions - such as access to adequate sanitation and safe water supplies - individual behaviour, and health services. More than half of the world's population lives in villages and rural areas and most of those without access to safe water sources or basic sanitation are rural dwellers. Enabling rural populations to protect and improve their health is a major challenge ...
Although some aspects of water quality and supply have improved in some countries over the last decade, progress has been variable. Renewed emphasis is being placed on microbial quality and the acknowledgement of previously unrecognized and re-emerging microbial and other hazards. Many of the suggested solutions are as applicable today as they were a decade ago. However, major changes in administrative arrangements affected many countries in ...
This book evaluates the risk to human health and the environment posed by exposures to fluorides. It is widely known that fluoride has both positive and negative effects on human health, and there is a narrow range between intakes that are associated with these effects. Cases of skeletal fluorosis associated with the consumption of drinking water containing elevated levels of fluoride are reported. Fluoride is ubiquitous in the environment and ...
This training manual is aimed at professionals responsible for Operation and Maintenance of water supply systems, who already have some experience of training. It will help the implementation of training activities and will be an important tool for trainers in the design, preparation and carrying out of training courses on leakage control.
The potential to increase consistency in approaches to assessment and management of water-related microbial hazards was tackled by an international group of experts concerned with drinking water, irrigation and wastewater use and recreational/bathing water. It included individuals with expertise in public health, epidemiology, risk assessment, risk management, standards and regulation, communication and economics. Subsequently, a series of ...
A spiral-bound collection of training materials and activities designed to help planners, managers, and engineers improve water supply and sanitation projects through the better management of their operation and maintenance. Addressed to course facilitators, the manual contains abundant notes, background information, overheads, work sheets, exercises, and fact sheets specific to conditions seen in rural areas of the developing world. Information ...
Sets out a managerial framework, supported by specific assessment tools, for measuring and evaluating the status of operation and maintenance of water supply and sanitation services. Noting that problems with operation and maintenance have long been recognized as key constraints to sustainability, the book aims to encourage professional staff in utilities, local governments, and nongovernmental organizations to undertake performance assessments ...
This handbook provides the first comprehensive guide to the safe and efficient handling, treatment, and disposal of all categories of hazardous waste generated by health-care activities. Although the major emphasis is on waste generated by hospitals, guidelines and advice are also relevant to wastes produced in health centres, research facilities, and laboratories, or associated with home care or treatment in doctors' and dentists' practices.
Evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by exposure to vinyl chloride, a colourless, flammable gas manufactured almost exclusively for use in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is used to produce plastic materials having wide applications in the building sector, packaging, electrical appliances, medical care, agriculture, the automotive industry, and toys. Conclusive evidence that vinyl chloride causes cancer ...
A collection of original articles, case studies, checklists, worksheets, and stimulating ideas aimed at raising the profile of sanitation and thus attracting the assistance and investments needed to make progress. Noting that tremendous efforts over the past two decades have had little impact on sanitary conditions for much of the world, the book calls for a revolution in the way the sanitation sector defines its objectives and conducts its ...
A spiral-bound collection of resource materials for use in a three-day training course focused on the safe management of health-care wastes. Course materials are aimed at an audience of managers of hospitals and other health-care establishments, policy-makers, and professionals involved in waste management. Noting that health-care waste has a higher potential of infection and injury than any other type of waste, training materials aim to both ...
Describes an exciting new approach, based on an innovative set of participatory techniques, that has demonstrated its ability to promote hygienic behaviour, sanitation improvements, and community management of water and sanitation facilities. Known as the Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation, or PHAST, initiative, the approach was carefully developed and tested in both urban and rural areas of four African countries: Botswana, ...
A spiral-bound manual offering step-by-step instructions for helping communities improve hygiene behaviour, prevent cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases, and manage their own water and sanitation facilities. Addressed to facilitators working in the community, the manual uses the Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation, or PHAST, approach, an exciting new methodology which relies on locally-prepared visual "toolkits" to stimulate ...