Recorded presentation

Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908-5097, 401-222-2231, pnolan@doh.state.ri.us

Environmental public health protects humans from natural, accidental, and intentional threats in the environment. The concepts of environmental health are complex. Emerging threats in chronic and infectious diseases, injury, and terrorists threats all have environmental health components. The governance of environmental health is complex. Complexity creates expectations that are difficult to satisfy. Components include: host, agent, environment; genetics, lifestyle, environment; physical, chemical, and bio-social environments; medical care, preventive services, environmental services.

Political shifts affect states' roles in environmental health. Examples include the environmental movement, globalization, and terrorism. In the US, the political power over environmental decisions has shifted away from local and state governments. Heavy emphasis on medical care has reduced attention to environmental health solutions. Local governments' resources are depleted, making both capital projects and enforcement hard to sustain.

The current ability of science to link human health effects to exposures in natural and built environments is limited by the lack of disease surveillance systems, environmental monitoring systems to track hazards, and data demonstrating what a community of people are actually exposed to. It is imperative that the public health community has a solid understanding of the effects that environmental factors have on human health.

This presentation explores opportunities and challenges facing state public health departments and programs. Opportunities include: healthy communities and healthy homes, biomonitoring and surveillance, global concepts and local implementation, links to medical care systems and to lifestyles. Challenges include: laws, capital, program funding, work force, laboratory capacity, and links to the medical are system.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to identify the opportunities and challenges facing sttae public health departments in environmental health policy and program.
• Attendees will identify one or more avenues to support an environmental public health agenda in their own states communities.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: director of the department and an employee of the state of Rhode Island

Recorded presentation