Public Health and Environmental Injustice

There is strong evidence that exposure to environmental pollution contributes to the onset and severity of illness in humans, yet many medical and public health approaches to health and illness ignore environmental factors. The lack of focus on environmental contributors to illness helps to reinforce existing disparities associated with living in contaminated communities. Students in this class will explore the connections between environmental exposures and human health outcomes. Students will learn about the environmental factors that contribute to the onset of common non-communicable diseases, including asthma, cancer, and diabetes, as well as exacerbate the severity of infectious diseases. Students will examine cultural, economic, regulatory, medical, and scientific factors that contribute to health disparities and environmental injustice. Students will also explore efforts to incorporate environmental justice considerations into health care and public policy reforms.