Purpose of the Teacher’s Guide

This Teacher’s Guide forms part of current efforts by its sponsors (WHO, UNEP, CRE-COPERNICUS, UNESCO) to strengthen environmental health capacity and promote actions that eliminate, prevent or minimize hazards. The quality of our environment and the health effects resulting from environmental factors are of increasing concern in both developed and developing countries. The extent of these health effects is often unknown and the technology to prevent and control environmental hazards needs further development. A variety of well-trained professional groups is needed to identify and effectively address current and future problems related to environment and health.

The Basic Environmental Health text and this Teacher’s Guide are designed to facilitate and promote environmental health teaching in both university settings and in-service training courses for government agency staff, industry professionals and managers, and interested people in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or community groups. Specific target groups in universities include students in medicine, nursing, other health professions, engineering, environmental science and management, and others needing a basic introduction to environmental health (including students in geography, urban planning, social work and environmental law). In fact, environmental health education is desirable for most professions.