Abu Dhabi: The link between the environment and health problems has long been known to specialists.
A recent global study conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that environmental risk factors have an impact on 85 out of the 102 diseases reported regularly by it.
The UAE government announced a project last year to develop a national strategy for environmental health by 2011. The first draft of strategy is expected to be ready by June.
The project is spearheaded by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD). EAD called for research organisations across three continents to work on the project.
The research, conducted by a team of international and local experts, is led by the US-based Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina (UNC).
Heading the research team of international specialists is Dr Jacqueline A. MacDonald, Assistant Professor of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the School of Public Health at UNC.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, she sheds light on the relationship between the environment and health.
Gulf News: What is the link between the environment and health?
Pollutants in the environment can cause a wide variety of illnesses, from asthma, to heart disease, to cancer. The link between pollutants and human health has long been known to specialists. Indeed the first known writings on pollution are Arabic medical treatises dating to the ninth century. Nonetheless, widespread public awareness of environmental pollution emerged only during the twentieth century...
Why and how is the UAE's National Strategy for Environmental Health being drawn up? What are its priorities?
The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) is leading an effort to develop national strategy for the country to protect public health from environmental risks.
My research team is providing technical support for this effort. We began with an initial assessment of health effects from a wide variety of environmental pollutants. We then engaged a wide variety of experts, government officials, industry representatives, and non-government organisations in a process to set priorities among all those risks.
Pollution of outdoor and indoor air, along with occupational risks, emerged as the top priorities.
Other important environmental pollution problems to be included in the strategy are water contamination, global warming, contamination of soil due to solid and hazardous wastes, and contamination of various foodstuffs.
Based on data collected so far, which is the biggest environmental problem faced by the UAE?
The most important environmental pollution problem in the UAE, from a public health perspective, appears to be outdoor air pollution.
Outdoor air pollution appears to account for more than 80 per cent of the total health risk created by environmental problems...
The next biggest issue seems to be exposure to hazardous substances in occupational settings...
What do you think of the UAE government's approach?
The UAE government is quite visionary in the major investments being made to predict the environmental problems of the future and prevent those problems from getting out of hand.
The government is using a systematic, scientific process to develop a national strategy to reduce environmental health risks...