The Environmental Issue and Medicine

Abstract

Today’s challenge is to restore the balance between man and his environment. The aim is to improve the quality of both man’s health and the condition of the environment. The health status and the state of the environment have to be described and understood globally as well as regionally. This implies performing epidemiological surveys and monitoring the environment. Basic scientific work is needed to understand the mechanisms that are involved in causing the present condition of the environment and the state of health. Changes and proposed interventions should always be studied “ecologically”, which means that they are to be conceived as the consequence or the cause of disturbances of complex balances. The contribution of medicine in this process is emphasized.

The importance of the proper use of terminology is demonstrated. In order to prevent misunderstandings it is important to be explicit about the level of abstraction at which a problem is discussed, or about the complexity of cause and effect relations which are considered.

Four major determinants: endogenous and exogenous factors, life style and the health care system determine the health condition of a population. This model is considered from an ecological angle and is used to explain the paradoxical situation where the human species seems to be successful whereas the condition of the environment is rapidly deteriorating.