Environmental Health and Public Health Laws

At the end of the course, students should be able to: 1. describe the link between environmental factors and health of a community; 2. explain the critical role the environment plays in the health of a population; 3. identify potential health hazards to the community of exposure to biological, chemical and physical pollutants; 4. describe factors that increases the chances of health hazards due to exposure to contaminants; 5. conduct an Environmental Health Impact assessment of a given community to a potential risk factor; 6. explain the scope of public health laws and its focus; and 7. describe the process of environmental health law enforcement.

The course is designed for the undergraduates in public health and others in the health sciences programs. Highlights the three cardinal areas of the environment i.e. the biological, physical/chemical and the socio-cultural environments. Components of the environment. The problems, deteriorating forms/characteristics of the man-made environments with attendant consequences. The important topics in the course include urban and rural environments with particular emphasis on the housing problems. Control of food, water and sanitation. Refuse/solid wastes disposal and management. Air and water pollution particularly in the riverine areas. Psychological, physiological, and genetic factors that affects health after exposure to environmental hazards. Genetic and physiological factors that predisposes disease as a result of environmental contamination. Visits could be made to specific side to observe conditions existing with regards to air pollution, food sanitation and solid wastes disposal. The various agencies involved in environmental protection in relation to policies, laws, regulation codes and ordinances. Definition and perspective of public health laws. Historical perspective of public health laws. Framework and rationale of public health laws. Major health offences and Procedure of enforcement. Environmental risk assessment. Students chose specific topics of interest for project presentation at class seminars. Environmental Health Laws. Procedures for enforcement of environmental health laws.