PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE

Running head: PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1
2. Public health as a crosscutting issue ...................................................................................... 1
2.1. Public health and pollution ............................................................................................. 2
2.2. Public health concerning waste management and sanitation .......................................... 3
2.3. Water and diversity management.................................................................................... 3
2.4. Energy and its impact on health ...................................................................................... 4
3. Need for sustainable development ......................................................................................... 5
4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 5
5. References .............................................................................................................................. 6

1PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE
1. Introduction
Public health is a crosscutting issue that the administration implements to increase
development and sustainability. The health of the nation is related to the health of the residents
of a country. However, this factor is threatened by climatic changes, water and air pollution,
waste and energy consumption. Thus, to promote and sustain the health of the public the
administration needs to focus on reducing pollution, addressing climatic changes and promote
biodiversity management. This essay aims at highlighting the possible relationship between the
crosscutting issue, which is a public health and other factors of sustainable development.
Additionally, the study incorporates how the issue can be addressed by promoting sustainable
management of the environment.
2. Public health as a crosscutting issue
As mentioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), maintaining
public health is one of the important goals of sustainable development. This promotes the
adoption and continuous innovation of scientific technologies to reduce diseases, increase life
expectancy and reduce mortality rates1. In addition to this, it supports the well-being of human
health through the combining efforts of society, various public and private organisations and
individuals. Maintaining a healthy public is necessary for economic growth. A healthy
workforce will lead to an increase in productivity and efficiency. This will increase the growth
rate of the economy. Therefore, it is necessary to recover the health of the residents to improve
the performance of an economy. No matter how much innovation and protection the
administration implements to maintain public health, external factors possessed by pollution,
1 Who.int. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/hhr/news/Flyer_WHO_Sida_tool.pdf [Accessed 16
Dec. 2019].

2PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE
waste and sanitation issue adversely affects the health of the public. Therefore, the health of
individuals is related to environmental factors.
2.1. Public health and pollution
Environmental factors are known to be more prone in developing countries that possess
threats to the health of humans. This is because developing nations are unaware of the
importance of pollution abatement techniques and have lack of healthcare facilities. About, 92
percent of the population died in developing and underdeveloped regions due to pollution2. On
the other hand, developed nations are comparatively more aware of environmental risks. The
modernised infrastructures, access to clean water and the presence of a large number of health
care services safeguard the wealthier nations 3. However, air and water pollution are certain
dominant factors in the developed world that threats the public health program of the UNDP.
Pollution tends to create health issues in humans from several sources, which includes
water and air pollution. An increase in air pollution affects the health of the population. For
over two decades, the continuous emission of greenhouse gasses has led to an increase in lung-
related disease and created about 64 thousand premature deaths. Additionally, the 2017 report
suggests that there are more than 9 million deaths occurred due to pollution 4. Therefore,
pollution is a threat to public health and needs to be addressed with higher priority. The
government is taking steps to control pollution by imposing strict guidelines on carbon and
2 Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, a., Practice, B. and Medicine, I. (2013). SUSTAINABILITY
LINKS TO FOOD AND WATER RESOURCES. National Academies Press (US), [online] p. Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK202293/ [Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].
3 UNDP. (2019). Chemicals and waste management | UNDP. [online] Available at:
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/2030-a genda-for-susta inable-development/pla net/environment-
and-natural-capital/chemicals-and-waste-management.html [Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].
4 Origin.who.int. (2019). [online] Available at:
http://origin.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resources/WSH04.02.pdf [Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].

3PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE
toxic emission. UNDP prioritises pollution reduction and provides support to countries to
indulge in pollution abatement missions.
2.2. Public health concerning waste management and sanitation
Waste and sanitation are other factors that affect the health of individuals. Proper access
to clean drinking water, cleanliness in surroundings and proper sanitation help the country to
grow and maintain the health of the labour force. Negligent behaviour can lead to diseases such
as malaria, dengue, rectal cancer and skin related diseases. About 68 percent of the global
population has access to proper sanitation facilities and the rest of the population cannot avail
of these basic sanitation facilities 5. This improper sanitation can lead to 2.8 million deaths
annually6. Therefore, the administration should take steps to address such problems to combat
the effects on public health.
2.3. Water and diversity management
Water is one of the essential requirement for a living of humans as well as animals.
There are immense water bodies present all around the globe but are not enough to provide
water to support drinking. Therefore, there is a need to maintain the sustainability of river water
to support drinking facilities. Due to rapid industrialisation and disposing of waste into river
water, there is a reduction in the availability of groundwater and fresh river water 7. Several
diseases occur due to the availability of poor quality water. More specifically, waterborne
5 Johnson, R.C., Boni, G., Barogui, Y., Sopoh, G.E., Houndonougbo, M., Anagonou, E., Agossadou, D., Diez, G.
and Boko, M., 2015. Assessment of wa ter, sanitation, and hygiene practices and associated factors in a Buruli
ulcer endemic district in Benin (West Africa). BMC public health, 15(1), p.801.
6 the World Health Organization. (2019). Use of improved sanitation facilities. [online] Available at:
https://www.who.int/gho/mdg/environmental_sustainability/sanitation_text/en/ [Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].
7IUCN. 2013. Biodiversity and water: two of a kind. [online] Available at:
https://www.iucn.org/content/biodiversity-and-water-two-kind [Accessed 6 Jan. 2020].

4PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE
diseases occur due to the intake of poisonous or contaminated water. As a result, water initiated
diseases leads to about 3.4 million deaths every year 8. An increase in water pollution creates
several types of water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and several others. The
government has initiated several strategies to clean water to reduce the impact of diseases 9.
Availability of freshwater is directly related to the health of the public. UNESCO and
OECD organisations have initiated several water management programs to support
biodiversity10. This is because the availability of freshwater for humans is directly related to
the health of the public. Additionally, there are various programs and policies to maintain both
the quality and quantity of water for the public. This biodiversity management includes the
protection of natural reservoirs with natural techniques. The program is known as the Man and
the Biosphere (MAB) Program and the International Hydrological Program (IHP) 11.
2.4. Energy and its impact on health
Energy is important for the sustenance of human health. However, there are certain
types of energy that possess severe harm to human health. Energy radiated and released from
radioactive metals, biomass fuel, coal and nuclear energy are harmful to human health. This
causes major skin-related issues and even causes cancer. In 2018, about 70 percent of the total
8 Unesco.org. 2020. International Day for Biological Diversity 2013 | United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization. [online] Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-a nd-
celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-day-for-biological-diversity-2013/ [Accessed 6 Jan.
2020].
9 Origin.who.int. (2019). [online] Available at:
http://origin.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resources/WSH04.02.pdf [Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].
10 Oecd.org. 2020. Biodiversity, water and natural resource management - OECD. [online] Available at:
http://www.oecd.org/environment/resources/ [Accessed 6 Jan. 2020].
11 Unesco.org. 2020. International Day for Biological Diversity 2013 | United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization. [online] Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-
celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-day-for-biological-diversity-2013/ [Accessed 6 Jan.
2020].

5PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE
deaths occurred due to cancer in countries with low medical care facilities 12. Burning solid
fuels can cause lung-related issues and can lead to severe health risks. In today’s modernised
and developed society, one is required to have the energy to complete tasks. However, this
usage can lead to severe health problems and effects an economy's health in the long run.
3. Need for sustainable development
The growing environmental issues are a serious threat to the health of the public. Thus
to promote sustainable development in the world, organisations need to focus on initiating
pollution control techniques and public awareness programs 13. This will help in reducing the
impact of pollution, sanitation and radioactive energies on public health. The developing and
underdeveloped countries need to be targeted because of their low rates of HDI. A lower HDI
indicates the poor health of the nation, which includes lower availability of sanitation and
higher mortality rates. Therefore, sustainability should not limit to the developed nations but
should target the lower and middle-income countries.
4. Conclusion
Therefore, the study aims to develop the relationship amid public health and the
numerous environmental and artificial factors. Therefore, the health of humans is affected by
the increase in pollution, lack of access to sanitation and clean water and exposure to harmful
sources of energy. Thus, organisations need to focus on reducing these negative factors to
promote sustainable development in all corners of the world. The developing and emerging
nations require the support of world organisations to combat the rapid increase in deaths. Only
then, addressing the crosscutting issue will help in the development process.
12 Who.int. (2018). Cancer. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
[Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].
13 Levy, M., Gentry, D. and Klesges, L.M., 2015. Innovations in public health education: promoting professional
development and a culture of health. American journal of public health, 105(S1), pp.S44-S45.

6PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE
5. References
IUCN. 2013. Biodiversity and water: two of a kind. [online] Available at:
https://www.iucn.org/content/biodiversity-and-water-two-kind [Accessed 6 Jan. 2020].
Johnson, R.C., Boni, G., Barogui, Y., Sopoh, G.E., Houndonougbo, M., Anagonou, E.,
Agossadou, D., Diez, G. and Boko, M., 2015. Assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene
practices and associated factors in a Buruli ulcer endemic district in Benin (West Africa). BMC
public health, 15(1), p.801.
Levy, M., Gentry, D. and Klesges, L.M., 2015. Innovations in public health education:
promoting professional development and a culture of health. American journal of public
health, 105(S1), pp.S44-S45.
Oecd.org. 2020. Biodiversity, water and natural resource management - OECD. [online]
Available at: http://www.oecd.org/environment/resources/ [Accessed 6 Jan. 2020].
Origin.who.int. 2019. [online] Available at:
http://origin.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resources/WSH04.02.pdf [Accessed 16 Dec.
2019].
Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, a., Practice, B. and Medicine, I. 2013.
SUSTAINABILITY LINKS TO FOOD AND WATER RESOURCES. National Academies
Press (US), [online] p. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK202293/
[Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].
UNDP. 2019. Chemicals and waste management | UNDP. [online] Available at:
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/2030-agenda-for-sustainable-
development/planet/environment-and-natural-capital/chemicals-and-waste-management.html
[Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].

7PUBLIC HEALTH AS A CROSSCUTTING ISSUE
Unesco.org. 2020. International Day for Biological Diversity 2013 | United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. [online] Available at:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-
celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-day-for-biological-diversity-2013/
[Accessed 6 Jan. 2020].
Who.int. 2018. Cancer. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-
sheets/detail/cancer [Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].
Who.int. 2019. [online] Available at:
https://www.who.int/hhr/news/Flyer_WHO_Sida_tool.pdf [Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].
World Health Organization. 2019. Use of improved sanitation facilities. [online] Available at:
https://www.who.int/gho/mdg/environmental_sustainability/sanitation_text/en/ [Accessed 16
Dec. 2019].