Non-Communicable Disease
WARMER TEMPERATURES associated with climate change increase the formation of tropospheric ozone, a main constituent of smog and contributor to cardiorespiratory disease, and are associated with longer pollen seasons and increased pollen production, intensifying allergic respiratory diseases such as asthma. Particulate air pollution is driving increases in cardiovascular diseases and associated mortality. We are also currently experiencing a global epidemic of over-nutrition characterized by excessive intake of the wrong foods – largely driven by inadequate access to fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts and seeds – resulting in unprecedented rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Learning Objectives
L1: Explain global trends in the burden of non-communicable diseases.
L2: Understand the impact of environmental exposures in air and water on non-communicable diseases.
L3: Identify the key stakeholders and partners with whom to prioritize public health and ecosystem problems in the context of non-communicable diseases.
L2: Understand the impact of environmental exposures in air and water on non-communicable diseases.
L3: Identify the key stakeholders and partners with whom to prioritize public health and ecosystem problems in the context of non-communicable diseases.
Teaching Resources
Ecosystem Approaches to Health Teaching Manual
A teaching manual with sample modules and associated activities for teaching about health and environmental change produced by COPEH-Canada.
→ Español
→ Français
→ English
→ Read more
What It's Like to Live in the World's Most Polluted City
(L1, L2, L3) Delhi, the Indian territory, is the most polluted area in the world. National Geographic photographs by Matthieu Raley show New Delhi residents' interactions with pollution accompanied by an article about the lack of proper infrastructure to solve air pollution, water pollution, waste management, and environmental degradation issues.
→ See the photos
Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control
This New York University course focuses on the considerable and increasing burden of disease due to chronic diseases, mental health, substance use (alcohol, tobacco, other drugs), risk factors (obesity, lack of physical activity), and injuries within the developing world, and explores the role of the environment in relation to these challenges.
→ Syllabus
Land Use Planning for Public Health: The Role of Local Boards of Health in Community Design and Development
(L1, L2, L3) This guide for local US boards of health explains health issues that arise from the built environment and encourages land use planning to incorporate public health impacts into assessments and policies.
→ Guide
Global Climate Change, Sustainability, and Human Health
This University of Minnesota course introduces students to a full continuum of analytical perspectives on global climate change and its documented and projected implications for human health.
→ Syllabus
Climate Change and Disability in California, USA
On January 17, 20, the World Institute on Disability hosted a webinar on the connection between climate change and disability in California, USA. The webinar covered the basics of climate change and disability, California's climate future, disability in 2017's natural disasters, and planning for an integrated, equitable future.
→ Watch the video
Urbanization and Health in the Developing World
(L1, L2, L3) This slidedeck provides an example of a lecture for a class on urbanization and health identifying demographic trends, emerging health problems, potential solutions and what makes a city healthy.
→ Teaching tool
Applied Environmental Law and Health Syllabus
This course for law students expands the vision, analytic skills, and experiences of students interested in environmental law as well as students interested in environmental health. The readings, classroom activities, and projects expose students to a variety of current, real-world challenges which integrate (or could be more effective if they did integrate) environmental law and health. The University of Illinois, Fall 2017.
→ Syllabus
The Poisoned Generation
This story follows a decades-long lead-poisoning lawsuit in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA and illustrates how the toxin destroys black families and communities alike. The Atlantic, May 21, 2017.
→ Read the story
Public Health as an Urban Solution
(L2, L3, L4) A TedTalk exploring how public health is the lens to address poverty, violence, discrimination, and injustice and redefining the role of public health to be the 21st-century urban solution and critical social justice tool, in Baltimore and around the world.
→ Watch the video
Environmental Health Risk Inventory
(L1, L2) In this activity, students will learn about different types of environmental health risks and how they can assess the health risks in their own neighborhoods.
→ Teaching tool
Toxtown
(L2, L3) Tox Town is an interactive website for students and educators to help explain and explore environmental health concerns and toxic chemicals in an imaginary city, farm, port, and town.
→ Browse the site
The Impact of Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Water Quality
(L2, L3) This fact sheet produced by the Ohio EPA in 2011 explains the history of water quality issues and impacts of harmful algal blooms caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus from human activities This is background information for Ohio EPA's strategy to reduce nutrients entering waterways and prevent contamination of drinking water.
→ Factsheet
Simulation Exercises Teaching Clinical Skills and Knowledge of the Health Effects of Climate Change
This resource presents eleven simulation exercises. Students are eager to learn clinical skills, and existing curricula offer a range of simulated standardized patients and other active learning exercises that could be modified to provide training on climate change.
→ Simulation
Public Health and the Built Environment
This Tufts University course will explore the linkages between the built environment and human health from a policy and planning perspective, with a particular focus on the U.S. urban health context.
→ Syllabus
A teaching manual with sample modules and associated activities for teaching about health and environmental change produced by COPEH-Canada.
→ Español
→ Français
→ English
→ Read more
What It's Like to Live in the World's Most Polluted City
(L1, L2, L3) Delhi, the Indian territory, is the most polluted area in the world. National Geographic photographs by Matthieu Raley show New Delhi residents' interactions with pollution accompanied by an article about the lack of proper infrastructure to solve air pollution, water pollution, waste management, and environmental degradation issues.
→ See the photos
Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control
This New York University course focuses on the considerable and increasing burden of disease due to chronic diseases, mental health, substance use (alcohol, tobacco, other drugs), risk factors (obesity, lack of physical activity), and injuries within the developing world, and explores the role of the environment in relation to these challenges.
→ Syllabus
Land Use Planning for Public Health: The Role of Local Boards of Health in Community Design and Development
(L1, L2, L3) This guide for local US boards of health explains health issues that arise from the built environment and encourages land use planning to incorporate public health impacts into assessments and policies.
→ Guide
Global Climate Change, Sustainability, and Human Health
This University of Minnesota course introduces students to a full continuum of analytical perspectives on global climate change and its documented and projected implications for human health.
→ Syllabus
Climate Change and Disability in California, USA
On January 17, 20, the World Institute on Disability hosted a webinar on the connection between climate change and disability in California, USA. The webinar covered the basics of climate change and disability, California's climate future, disability in 2017's natural disasters, and planning for an integrated, equitable future.
→ Watch the video
Urbanization and Health in the Developing World
(L1, L2, L3) This slidedeck provides an example of a lecture for a class on urbanization and health identifying demographic trends, emerging health problems, potential solutions and what makes a city healthy.
→ Teaching tool
Applied Environmental Law and Health Syllabus
This course for law students expands the vision, analytic skills, and experiences of students interested in environmental law as well as students interested in environmental health. The readings, classroom activities, and projects expose students to a variety of current, real-world challenges which integrate (or could be more effective if they did integrate) environmental law and health. The University of Illinois, Fall 2017.
→ Syllabus
The Poisoned Generation
This story follows a decades-long lead-poisoning lawsuit in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA and illustrates how the toxin destroys black families and communities alike. The Atlantic, May 21, 2017.
→ Read the story
Public Health as an Urban Solution
(L2, L3, L4) A TedTalk exploring how public health is the lens to address poverty, violence, discrimination, and injustice and redefining the role of public health to be the 21st-century urban solution and critical social justice tool, in Baltimore and around the world.
→ Watch the video
Environmental Health Risk Inventory
(L1, L2) In this activity, students will learn about different types of environmental health risks and how they can assess the health risks in their own neighborhoods.
→ Teaching tool
Toxtown
(L2, L3) Tox Town is an interactive website for students and educators to help explain and explore environmental health concerns and toxic chemicals in an imaginary city, farm, port, and town.
→ Browse the site
The Impact of Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Water Quality
(L2, L3) This fact sheet produced by the Ohio EPA in 2011 explains the history of water quality issues and impacts of harmful algal blooms caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus from human activities This is background information for Ohio EPA's strategy to reduce nutrients entering waterways and prevent contamination of drinking water.
→ Factsheet
Simulation Exercises Teaching Clinical Skills and Knowledge of the Health Effects of Climate Change
This resource presents eleven simulation exercises. Students are eager to learn clinical skills, and existing curricula offer a range of simulated standardized patients and other active learning exercises that could be modified to provide training on climate change.
→ Simulation
Public Health and the Built Environment
This Tufts University course will explore the linkages between the built environment and human health from a policy and planning perspective, with a particular focus on the U.S. urban health context.
→ Syllabus
Research
Articles
Articles