environmental variables and links to incidence of disease

• what are the climate links to incidence of disease?

  extremes of climatic conditions can lead to the outbreak and spread of diseases. drought can lead to famine and illness related to lack of food, and floods can lead to the spread of water borne diseases through poor sanitation.
• what are the topography links to the incidence of disease?


  flat floodplain land can lead to disease during periods of flood. these include diarrhoea, dysentery, and hepatitis a and e in countries such as India and the Ganges floodplain.
• what are the air quality and health links to incidence of disease?

  air pollution is a health hazard in countries across the development continuum. polluted air effects the cardiovascular and respiratory system. the WHO estimates that 80% of air pollution deaths are related to heart disease and strokes.
• what are water quality and health links to the incidence of disease?

  inadequate drinking water and poor water sanitation and hygiene cause 842,000 diarrhoeal deaths per year. parasitic worms in infested water lead to an estimated 260 million causes of schistomsomiasis. malaria has water related vectors. human sewage is one of the main pollutants of water.