Risk Analysis Approaches to Evaluating Health Impacts from Land‐Based Pollution in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries

Risk Analysis ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela R. D. Williams ◽  
Katherine Stackelberg ◽  
Mayra Gabriela Guerra Lopez ◽  
Ernesto Sanchez‐Triana
Keyword(s):  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals Agricultural Innovations to Reduce the Health Impacts of Dams

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1869
Author(s):  
Andrea J. Lund ◽  
David Lopez-Carr ◽  
Susanne H. Sokolow ◽  
Jason R. Rohr ◽  
Giulio A. De Leo
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Modern Agriculture ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Climate Resilience ◽  
Livelihood Systems ◽  
Agricultural Innovations ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Dams enable the production of food and renewable energy, making them a crucial tool for both economic development and climate change adaptation in low- and middle-income countries. However, dams may also disrupt traditional livelihood systems and increase the transmission of vector- and water-borne pathogens. These livelihood and health impacts diminish the benefits of dams to rural populations dependent on rivers, as hydrological and ecological alterations change flood regimes, reduce nutrient transport and lead to the loss of biodiversity. We propose four agricultural innovations for promoting equity, health, sustainable development, and climate resilience in dammed watersheds: (1) restoring migratory aquatic species, (2) removing submerged vegetation and transforming it into an agricultural resource, (3) restoring environmental flows and (4) integrating agriculture and aquaculture. As investment in dams accelerates in low- and middle-income countries, appropriately addressing their livelihood and health impacts can improve the sustainability of modern agriculture and economic development in a changing climate.

scholarly journals A Systematic Framework for Collecting Site-Specific Sampling and Survey Data to Support Analyses of Health Impacts from Land-Based Pollution in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4676
Author(s):  
Katherine von Stackelberg ◽  
Pamela R.D. Williams ◽  
Ernesto Sánchez-Triana
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Low And Middle Income

The rise of small-scale and localized economic activities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has led to increased exposures to contaminants associated with these processes and the potential for resulting adverse health effects in exposed communities. Risk assessment is the process of building models to predict the probability of adverse outcomes based on concentration-response functions and exposure scenarios for individual contaminants, while epidemiology uses statistical methods to explore associations between potential exposures and observed health outcomes. Neither approach by itself is practical or sufficient for evaluating the magnitude of exposures and health impacts associated with land-based pollution in LMICs. Here we propose a more pragmatic framework for designing representative studies, including uniform sampling guidelines and household surveys, that draws from both methodologies to better support community health impact analyses associated with land-based pollution sources in LMICs. Our primary goal is to explicitly link environmental contamination from land-based pollution associated with specific localized economic activities to community exposures and health outcomes at the household level. The proposed framework was applied to the following three types of industries that are now widespread in many LMICs: artisanal scale gold mining (ASGM), used lead-acid battery recycling (ULAB), and small tanning facilities. For each activity, we develop a generalized conceptual site model (CSM) that describes qualitative linkages from chemical releases or discharges, environmental fate and transport mechanisms, exposure pathways and routes, populations at risk, and health outcomes. This upfront information, which is often overlooked, is essential for delineating the contaminant zone of influence in a community and identifying relevant households for study. We also recommend cost-effective methods for use in LMICs related to environmental sampling, biological monitoring, survey questionnaires, and health outcome measurements at contaminated and unexposed reference sites. Future study designs based on this framework will facilitate consistent, comparable, and standardized community exposure, risk, and health impact assessments for land-based pollution in LMICs. The results of these studies can also support economic burden analyses and risk management decision-making around site cleanup, risk mitigation, and public health education.

scholarly journals Circular economy and environmental health in low- and middle-income countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caradee Y. Wright ◽  
Linda Godfrey ◽  
Giovanna Armiento ◽  
Lorren K. Haywood ◽  
Roula Inglesi-Lotz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Health ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Responsible Consumption ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract Background The circular economy framework for human production and consumption is an alternative to the traditional, linear concept of ‘take, make, and dispose’. Circular economy (CE) principles comprise of ‘design out waste and pollution’, ‘retain products and materials in use’, and ‘regenerate natural systems’. This commentary considers the risks and opportunities of the CE for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), acknowledging that LMICs must identify their own opportunities, while recognising the potential positive and negative environmental health impacts. Main body The implementation of the CE in LMICs is mostly undertaken informally, driven by poverty and unemployment. Activities being employed towards extracting value from waste in LMICs are imposing environmental health risks including exposure to hazardous and toxic working environments, emissions and materials, and infectious diseases. The CE has the potential to aid towards the achievement of the SDGs, in particular SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). However, since SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) is critical in the pursuit of all SDGs, the negative implications of the CE should be well understood and addressed. We call on policy makers, industry, the health sector, and health-determining sectors to address these issues by defining mechanisms to protect vulnerable populations from the negative health impacts that may arise in LMICs as these countries domesticate the CE. Conclusion Striving towards a better understanding of risks should not undermine support for the CE, which requires the full agency of the public and policy communities to realise the potential to accelerate LMICs towards sustainable production and consumption, with positive synergies for several SDGs.

scholarly journals Comparison of Respiratory Health Impacts Associated with Wood and Charcoal Biomass Fuels: A Population-Based Analysis of 475,000 Children from 30 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9305
Author(s):  
Katherine E. Woolley ◽  
Suzanne E. Bartington ◽  
Telesphore Kabera ◽  
Xiang-Qian Lao ◽  
Francis D. Pope ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Biomass Fuel ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Biomass Fuels ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Background: The World Health Organisation reported that 45% of global acute respiratory infection (ARI) deaths in children under five years are attributable to household air pollution, which has been recognised to be strongly associated with solid biomass fuel usage in domestic settings. The introduction of legislative restrictions for charcoal production or purchase can result in unintended consequences, such as reversion to more polluting biomass fuels such as wood; which may increase health and environmental harms. However, there remains a paucity of evidence concerning the relative health risks between wood and charcoal. This study compares the risk of respiratory symptoms, ARI, and severe ARI among children aged under five years living in wood and charcoal fuel households across 30 low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Data from children (N = 475,089) residing in wood or charcoal cooking households were extracted from multiple population-based Demographic and Health Survey databases (DHS) (N = 30 countries). Outcome measures were obtained from a maternal report of respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath and fever) occurring in the two weeks prior to the survey date, generating a composite measure of ARI (cough and shortness of breath) and severe ARI (cough, shortness of breath and fever). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were implemented, with adjustment at individual, household, regional and country level for relevant demographic, social, and health-related confounding factors. Results: Increased odds ratios of fever (AOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02–1.12) were observed among children living in wood cooking households compared to the use of charcoal. However, no association was observed with shortness of breath (AOR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.96–1.10), cough (AOR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.95–1.04), ARI (AOR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.96–1.11) or severe ARI (AOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.99–1.17). Within rural areas, only shortness of breath was observed to be associated with wood cooking (AOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01–1.15). However, an increased odds ratio of ARI was observed in Asian (AOR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.04–1.51) and East African countries (AOR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01–1.22) only. Conclusion: Our population-based observational data indicates that in Asia and East Africa there is a greater risk of ARI among children aged under 5 years living in wood compared to charcoal cooking households. These findings have major implications for understanding the existing health impacts of wood-based biomass fuel usage and may be of relevance to settings where charcoal fuel restrictions are under consideration.

scholarly journals The Health Impacts of Hazardous Chemical Exposures among Child Labourers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5496
Author(s):  
Natasha B. Scott ◽  
Nicola S. Pocock
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Chemical Exposure ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Poor Growth ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Chemical Exposures ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Of 218 million working children worldwide, many are suspected to be exposed to hazardous chemicals. This review aims to synthesize reported evidence over the last two decades on chemical exposure and adverse health consequences in children labourers in low- and middle-income Countries (LMIC). Included studies investigated health outcomes related to chemical exposures among child labourers aged 5–18 in LMIC. Twenty-three papers were selected for review, focusing on pesticides (n = 5), solvents (n = 3), metals (n = 13) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (n = 2). Adverse health effects identified among child labourers included abnormal biomarkers, for example elevated blood and urine chemical concentrations, neurobehavioural deficits and neurological symptoms, mental health issues, oxidative stress and DNA damage, poor growth, asthma, and hypothyroidism. Workplace exposure to chemicals has pernicious health effects on child labourers. Large research gaps exist, in particular for long-term health impacts through chronic conditions and diseases with long latencies. A sizeable disease burden in later life is likely to be directly attributable to chemicals exposures. We urge national and international agencies concerned with child labour and occupational health, to prioritize research and interventions aiming to reduce noxious chemical exposures in workplaces where children are likely to be present.

Some Conditions for Task Shifting in Low and Middle-Income Countries

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joop de Jong ◽  
Mark Jordans ◽  
Ivan Komproe ◽  
Robert Macy ◽  
Aline & Herman Ndayisaba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Task Shifting ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income
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