12.3. Promoting activities to identify, control and prevent environmental health problems: Identifying obstacles and resources

(Prioritising/planning exercise)

Time: ½-1 hour

Objectives:

At the end of the exercise, students will be able to:

1. Analyse potential problems in implementing action strategies on environmental health issues, and identify their causes and potential solutions.

2. Identify resources to support initiatives in environmental health.

Procedures:

1. Ask all participants to identify one or, if the group is small, two obstacles that they may face in applying what they have learned about environmental health problems and promotion outside the course or workshop. Participants should write each obstacle in large print on a piece of paper, using a coloured marker. (The writing should be large enough for everyone to read when the paper is posted at the front of the class. The key is to use few words and big letters.)

2. Ask for a volunteer to read out his or her obstacle and pass the piece of paper to the front of the room for posting. Then call for obstacles with a similar theme, posting each piece of paper under the previous one to create a vertical column. A new column is created for each new theme. By proceeding in this manner, a visual representation of the most pressing problems is created. The longest list usually reflects the problem of greatest concern.

3. Summarize the prioritized obstacles. Discuss causes and potential solutions. Focus on obstacles of which the solution would have the greatest positive impact.

4. Brainstorm a list of institutional, national and international resources for activities related to health and environment.

Materials needed:

Coloured markers, tape, pieces of paper or stiff cards (preferably coloured), board for posting the cards.