Regional Health and Environment

Many health problems require broader based interventions than can be offered in a clinical setting alone. Such problems include the many health issues related to environmental causes (both in the workplace and at home). This course explores such regional health issues as well as the social, political and economic factors related to societies intervening to ensure a sustainable environment. A sustainable environment is one that does not threaten the well being of future generations. In this course, student groups will choose a global region, and will research a selected environmental health problem relevant to the modern environmental health movement for countries in their region. Using this research, students will prepare a working paper about the social, economic and political factors that are influencing, or are being influenced by, this environmental health problem. These working papers will be the basis for classroom debate among student groups representing these various regions, as well as for the development of resolutions dealing with solutions to regional environmental health issues.