ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2
Environmental Health
Household air pollution is among the most significant environmental burdens. Household
air pollution refers to the quality of air in and around structures and buildings. It is essential for
families to understand and control the indoor pollutants to reduce the health concerns. The
problem is that the health effects that emanate from indoor air pollutants could be experienced
soon or many years after exposure. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 3
billion individuals depend primarily on fuels that contribute to pollution, such as biomass fuels,
coal, and kerosene to fulfill their energy needs (WHO, 2018). In essence, household air pollution
could affect an individual’s stages of life with adverse health effects, where evidence of the
impact manifests right from conception until the person reaches old age.
In the developing world, families depend on traditional stoves and open fires when
preparing food. The inefficient cooking methods contribute to pollution and expose the family
members to grave health problems. Some of the dwellings are poorly ventilated, and that
exacerbates the problem. Furthermore, exposure to household pollution causes death after a
prolonged period. According to Apte and Salvi (2016), tobacco smoking within the confines of
the houses endangers not only the active smoker but the passive smokers in the house as well. In
the same way, the use of insecticides and pest control measures tend to aggravate the problem,
especially in the poorly ventilated homes. Sustained exposure to household air pollution is the
leading contributor to various health complications, such as respiratory infections, stroke,
ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer, among others. Global health challenges continue to
compound as governments, and other stakeholders seek solutions. Hence, health education and
proper living standards could help to alleviate the health burden occasioned by household air
pollution.
