scholarly journals Nature-Based Equity: An Assessment of the Public Health Impacts of Green Infrastructure in Ontario Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5763
Author(s):  
Vidya Anderson ◽  
William A. Gough ◽  
Branka Agic
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Climate Resilience ◽  
The Impact

The built environment is a physical determinant of health essential to the planning and development of a more equitable society. Communities face growing challenges due to environmental stressors such as climate change, with vulnerable communities experiencing a disproportionate burden of adverse health outcomes. The interdependencies between urban planning and public health outcomes are inextricable, with respect to improving access to healthier built environments for vulnerable and marginalized groups. Widespread implementation of nature-based solutions, such as green infrastructure, provides a multi-functional strategy to support sustainable development, increase climate resilience, enhance ecological connectivity, and create healthier communities. A Health Equity Impact Assessment presents the findings of a participatory research study utilizing key informant interviews of public health unit professionals (eight) and a survey of green infrastructure volunteers and workers (36) on the impact of green infrastructure on individual and community mental and physical well-being, service use, and perceived unmet needs, using Ontario, Canada as a case study. Study findings indicate that where green infrastructure is both productive and publicly accessible, the benefits were significant for vulnerable populations. These benefits include increased social connectivity, skills development, and food security. Green infrastructure could be a viable strategy to address environmental stressors, improve health equity, and support localization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

scholarly journals A global challenge and a legal requirement: new findings can help the Welsh response and put sustainable development into practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i41-i42
Author(s):  
Cathy Weatherup ◽  
Sumina Azam
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Legal Requirement ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Welsh Language ◽  
New Findings

Abstract Sustainable development legislation in Wales requires us to think and act differently to contribute to seven well being goals, namely; prosperity, resilience, health, equity, cohesive communities, globally responsible and a vibrant culture and thriving welsh language, now and over the longer term. Findings from a Literature Review, commissioned by the Health and Sustainability Hub, Public Health Wales, identify approaches and recommendations to help implement the legislation; aimed at people, policies and practice.

Green infrastructure—approach and public health benefits

2018 ◽  
pp. 252-256
Author(s):  
Raffaele Lafortezza ◽  
Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Multiple Services ◽  
Temporal Dimensions

Green infrastructure (GI) planning is becoming a pre-eminent approach for delivering essential goods and services to people while reversing trends such as landscape and habitat fragmentation. By means of sound ecosystems delivering multiple services and benefits, GI can contribute to public health, including physical, psychological, and social aspects. These services and benefits are provided at the local, regional, and national scales, and are therefore closely knit to planning and policymaking at various levels. The Green Infrastructure Framework was conceptualized to incorporate the multifunctional, multiscale, and temporal dimensions of GI and to demonstrate the associations between ecosystem services and human well-being. It stresses biodiversity, social and territorial cohesion, and sustainable development as key contributions of GI, creating the environmental settings for well-being and community health. Adopting the GI approach and its characteristics of connectivity (by connecting ecological and social systems), accessibility, and functionality in urban planning may contribute to healthier societies.

scholarly journals SDGs + Synergies: Design, Access + Aftercare in Global Public Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Cesario ◽  
S Maswime
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Global Surgery ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Impact

Abstract As Citizens of the World, in 2020 we have been challenged to frankly + swiftly evaluate public health crises, social injustice + their intrinsic link to our global economies. This starkly pivotal year marks a decade to the deadline to fulfill the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs are oft-considered the world's best plan towards building a better world for people and our planet. Adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, the SDGs are an international call-to-action to promote prosperity while protecting the environment. In light of the UN's 17th goal of Partnership, we wanted to amplify the interconnections between the specialties of architecture + health. This particular goal seeks to strengthen the means of implementation + revitalize the global collaboration for sustainable development. As an Architect specializing in Healthcare at SOM's New York office, Founder of WALLEN + daub + the Head of Global Surgery at University of Cape Town, we are approaching sustained well-being from our respective professions. We each serve different geographic markets towards the best outcomes. We pondered the codependency of space + care in creating a healing experience for patients. Global surgery + international healthcare architecture are rooted in serving others. Therefore, we are continuously considering the role of the professional in creating spatial infrastructure as a component of service delivery for care by clinicians. Progress is evident, but slow. The last Annual SDSN Report found that the best performing city is only making 68% progress toward full achievement of all seventeen SDGs. Of all largely-populated US cities, two-thirds are less than halfway there. As we work globally towards more equitable, healthy + resilient communities (#11), we must further investigate the impact and implementation of the other goals, namely: health + well-being (#3), access to sanitation (#6), + industry, innovation + infrastructure (#9). Key messages UN SDGs + public health care (sustainable care + design). Patient Well-being: Collaboration through sustainable development goals, design + care.

scholarly journals The Health Equity Framework: A Science- and Justice-Based Model for Public Health Researchers and Practitioners

2020 ◽  
pp. 152483992095073
Author(s):  
Amy Peterson ◽  
Vignetta Charles ◽  
David Yeung ◽  
Karin Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Health Inequities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Spheres Of Influence ◽  
Two Phases

In this article, we describe a science- and justice-based framework for promoting health equity designed for researchers and practitioners working across public health and social science fields. We developed the health equity framework (HEF; etr.org/healthequityframework ) in two phases of iterative development. Building on existing models, the HEF illustrates how health outcomes are influenced by complex interactions between people and their environments. The framework centers on three foundational concepts: equity at the core of health outcomes; multiple, interacting spheres of influence; and a historical and life-course perspective. Health equity is defined as having the personal agency and fair access to resources and opportunities needed to achieve the best possible physical, emotional, and social well-being. By centering population outcomes, the HEF encourages researchers and practitioners to think beyond traditional approaches that focus on individual behaviors and choices to assess and identify their gaps in acknowledging and addressing factors from multiple spheres of influence. We identified four, interacting spheres of influence that represent both categories of risk and protective factors for health outcomes as well as opportunities for strategies and interventions that address those factors. The HEF highlights the explicit and implicit interactions of multilevel influences on health outcomes and emphasizes that health inequities are the result of cumulative experiences across the life span and generations. The HEF is a practical tool for leaders and professionals in public health research and practice to reflect on and support a shift toward addressing health inequities resulting from the interplay of structural, relational, individual, and physiological factors.

scholarly journals The politics of public health: A rapid review of the impact of public health reform on population health outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-115
Author(s):  
Charlotte Riordon ◽  
Sionnach Hendra ◽  
Christine Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
The Impact

Canada’s public health (PH) systems are vulnerable to constant system and structural changes, influenced by political and economic factors. This rapid review examines how PH system restructuring impacts population health outcomes, with special consideration of health equity. Due to a lack of Canadian evidence, international research was examined to produce recommendations for Canadian nurses, researchers, and decision-makers. Evidence indicates that PH spending and PH system organization have important impacts on population health outcomes and suggests PH reform has a negative impact on health equity. Opportunities for advocacy, activism, lobbying and capacity building to achieve health equity are discussed. Nurses, in a unique position between public policy and the lives of those they care for, are presented with the opportunity to effect social change through political action and to work across disciplines to address inequities. We encourage researchers and decision-makers to prioritize looking more deeply at the impact of PH reform.

scholarly journals More Than Shelter: Housing for Urban Maternal and Infant Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3331
Author(s):  
Jason Reece
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Infant Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Housing Quality ◽  
Housing Discrimination ◽  
Maternal Health Outcomes ◽  
The Impact

Housing quality, stability, and affordability have a direct relationship to socioemotional and physical health. Both city planning and public health have long recognized the role of housing in health, but the complexity of this relationship in regard to infant and maternal health is less understood. Focusing on literature specifically relevant to U.S. metropolitan areas, I conduct a multidisciplinary literature review to understand the influence of housing factors and interventions that impact infant and maternal health. The paper seeks to achieve three primary goals. First, to identify the primary “pathways” by which housing influences infant and maternal health. Second, the review focuses on the role and influence of historical housing discrimination on maternal health outcomes. Third, the review identifies emergent practice-based housing interventions in planning and public health practice to support infant and maternal health. The literature suggests that the impact of housing on infant health is complex, multifaceted, and intergenerational. Historical housing discrimination also directly impacts contemporary infant and maternal health outcomes. Policy interventions to support infant health through housing are just emerging but demonstrate promising outcomes. Structural barriers to housing affordability in the United States will require new resources to foster greater collaboration between the housing and the health sectors.

scholarly journals The Value of Urban Nature in Terms of Providing Ecosystem Services Related to Health and Well-Being: An Empirical Comparative Pilot Study of Cities in Germany and the Czech Republic

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 341
Author(s):  
Ralf-Uwe Syrbe ◽  
Ina Neumann ◽  
Karsten Grunewald ◽  
Patrycia Brzoska ◽  
Jiři Louda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Urban Nature ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

The quality of life in our cities critically depends on the intelligent planning and shaping of urban living space, in particular urban nature. By providing a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), urban nature essentially contributes to the well-being of city dwellers and plays a major role in avoiding common diseases through its positive impact on physical and mental health. Health is one of the most important factors underlying human welfare and is, thus, vital to sustainable development. The ES of urban green space provide other social-cultural functions alongside public health, for example by fostering environmental justice and citizenship participation. Thus, they should always be considered when searching for solutions to urban problems. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of green areas in three selected cities on the health and well-being of people by self-reporting of green areas’ visitors. To this end, we posed the research question: which types and characteristics of urban green space are most appreciated by city dwellers? Based on our findings, we have drawn up recommendations for practices to promote better living conditions. We have also pinpointed obstacles to and opportunities for leisure time activities as well as ways of supporting the public health of citizens.

scholarly journals 13.D. Workshop: SDGs in the focus of environmental and health issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The World ◽  
Environmental And Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This workshop is dedicated on SDGs in the focus of environmental and health issues, as very important and actual topic. One of the characteristics of today's societies is the significant availability of modern technologies. Over 5 billion (about 67%) people have a cellphone today. More than 4.5 billion people worldwide use the Internet, close to 60% of the total population. At the same time, one third of the people in the world does not have access to safe drinking water and half of the population does not have access to safe sanitation. The WHO at UN warns of severe inequalities in access to water and hygiene. Air, essential to life, is a leading risk due to ubiquitous pollution and contributes to the global disease burden (7 million deaths per year). Air pollution is a consequence of traffic and industry, but also of demographic trends and other human activities. Food availability reflects global inequality, famine eradication being one of the SDGs. The WHO warns of the urgency. As technology progresses, social inequality grows, the gap widens, and the environment continues to suffer. Furthermore, the social environment in societies is “ruffled” and does not appear to be beneficial toward well-being. New inequalities are emerging in the availability of technology, climate change, education. The achievement reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also point out to the need of reviewing individual indicators. According to the Sustainable Development Agenda, one of the goals is to reduce inequalities, and environmental health is faced by several specific goals. The Global Burden of Disease is the most comprehensive effort to date to measure epidemiological levels and trends worldwide. It is the product of a global research collaborative and quantifies the impact of hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in countries around the world. This workshop will also discuss Urban Health as a Complex System in the light of SDGs. Climate Change, Public Health impacts and the role of the new digital technologies is also important topic which is contributing to SDG3, improving health, to SDG4, allowing to provide distance health education at relatively low cost and to SDG 13, by reducing the CO2 footprint. Community Engagement can both empower vulnerable populations (so reducing inequalities) and identify the prior environmental issues to be addressed. The aim was to search for public health programs using Community Engagement tools in healthy environment building towards achievement of SDGs. Key messages Health professionals are involved in the overall process of transformation necessary to achieve the SDGs. Health professionals should be proactive and contribute to the transformation leading to better health for the environment, and thus for the human population.

scholarly journals The Impact of Lack of Clean Cooking Fuels on Sustainable Development in Developing Countries

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifeoluwa Garba ◽  
Richard Bellingham
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The World ◽  
Cooking Fuels ◽  
The Impact

Access to energy is crucial in tackling many of the current global development challenges that impact on people’s economic, health and social well-being as well as the ability to meet the commitments of reducing carbon emissions through clean energy use. Despite increased attention from multiple governments and agencies, energy poverty remains a serious sustainable development issue in many developing countries. To date, most research have focused on general access to electricity and the generation of clean energy to replace fossil fuels, failing to address the lack of basic access to clean energy for cooking and heating. More people in the world lack access to clean cooking fuels than to electricity. This issue is one aspect of a broader research which investigates the impacts of optimized energy policy and energy business models on sustainable development in developing countries.

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