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8.1 Human Health and Disease
Human Health is defined, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)
Constitution [1], as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Furthermore, an important aspect of
human health is equality. Unequal development in different countries in the promotion of health and control of diseases, especially communicable disease, is a common danger. In this context, informed public opinion and active cooperation are of
the utmost importance for improving the health of people, globally. The WHO definition may be regarded as idealistic but it does confer a holistic description of what
characterizes human health. Furthermore, the concept of disease or disability cannot
be simply defined as “non-health” or the opposite of health. Given an idealistic definition of health, it is likewise not trivial to define the threshold, for which deviation
from perfection to be regarded as disease or disability requiring treatment [2, 3].
Here, we refer to disease as a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects
the structure or function of parts or all of an organism, and that is not due to any
external injury [4].
Diseases have usually multiple causes. For example, major possible causes of
stroke include high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, tobacco use, and obesity.
These in turn, can be influenced by other factors. One of the such major factor that
can influence human health is the environment: clean air and water, safe and adequate food and in general, a stable global environment are promoters of human
health. Yet, 23% of total global deaths were attributable to environmental factors in
2016. More than 6.7 million deaths due to respiratory disease, five million deaths
due to infectious diseases, two million deaths due to neurological disorders were
attributed to environmental factors such as air pollution, inadequate water sanitation
or chemical agents [5]. Furthermore, unequal health is apparent, with nearly 92% of
environmental pollution-related deaths (i.e., air and water pollution) occurring in
low-and middle-income countries, distributed primarily in Africa, Asia, and
Eastern Europe.
8.2 Environmental Disasters Impacting Human Health
Several prominent environmental disasters (i.e., catastrophic event due to human
activity) impacted human health:
– 1950–1960 Minamata, Japan: methylmercury poisoning as effect of releasing
polluted industrial wastewater. This lead to 2,265 victims with neurological syndrome symptoms, out of which 1,784 died.
– 1961–1971 Vietnam: one million people disabled or health impaired as a result
of contamination with Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange is a
herbicide containing dioxin (associated with cancer and birth defects) that was
used by the U.S. military as defoliant agent during the Vietnam War.
D. C. Schmid
8.1 Human Health and Disease
Human Health is defined, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)
Constitution [1], as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Furthermore, an important aspect of
human health is equality. Unequal development in different countries in the promotion of health and control of diseases, especially communicable disease, is a common danger. In this context, informed public opinion and active cooperation are of
the utmost importance for improving the health of people, globally. The WHO definition may be regarded as idealistic but it does confer a holistic description of what
characterizes human health. Furthermore, the concept of disease or disability cannot
be simply defined as “non-health” or the opposite of health. Given an idealistic definition of health, it is likewise not trivial to define the threshold, for which deviation
from perfection to be regarded as disease or disability requiring treatment [2, 3].
Here, we refer to disease as a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects
the structure or function of parts or all of an organism, and that is not due to any
external injury [4].
Diseases have usually multiple causes. For example, major possible causes of
stroke include high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, tobacco use, and obesity.
These in turn, can be influenced by other factors. One of the such major factor that
can influence human health is the environment: clean air and water, safe and adequate food and in general, a stable global environment are promoters of human
health. Yet, 23% of total global deaths were attributable to environmental factors in
2016. More than 6.7 million deaths due to respiratory disease, five million deaths
due to infectious diseases, two million deaths due to neurological disorders were
attributed to environmental factors such as air pollution, inadequate water sanitation
or chemical agents [5]. Furthermore, unequal health is apparent, with nearly 92% of
environmental pollution-related deaths (i.e., air and water pollution) occurring in
low-and middle-income countries, distributed primarily in Africa, Asia, and
Eastern Europe.
8.2 Environmental Disasters Impacting Human Health
Several prominent environmental disasters (i.e., catastrophic event due to human
activity) impacted human health:
– 1950–1960 Minamata, Japan: methylmercury poisoning as effect of releasing
polluted industrial wastewater. This lead to 2,265 victims with neurological syndrome symptoms, out of which 1,784 died.
– 1961–1971 Vietnam: one million people disabled or health impaired as a result
of contamination with Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange is a
herbicide containing dioxin (associated with cancer and birth defects) that was
used by the U.S. military as defoliant agent during the Vietnam War.
D. C. Schmid