This document discusses the links between the environment and public health. It provides examples of international organizations that hold annual meetings for scientists to discuss research findings on this topic, such as the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Environmental Health. Researchers are encouraged to review published abstracts from these meetings to gain insight into emerging areas of scientific research related to the environment and public health.

1. 1a. Discussion—Environment and Public Health: A Direct Link
By
Saturday, February 13, 2016
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It is globally acknowledged that a link between the environment
and public health exists. This topic has grown to be so
important that various world organizations hold annual,
international meetings for scientists to gather and discuss the
latest research findings, breakthroughs, issues, and technology.
Some of these organizations are as follows:
World Health Organization (WHO)
The Paris Appeal International Congress
The International Federation of Environmental Health’s
Congress
In this assignment, you will gain a better idea of where
scientific research is headed by reviewing the published
abstracts presented at such meetings.
Begin this assignment by searching the Internet for the most
recent gathering of one of the organizations listed above. You
may also search for another major organization that is currently
focused on global health and the environment.
Once you locate your organization and the meeting (often called
a Congress) of interest, find the published program for that
meeting. Do note that this may take a few clicks. However,
every organization always publishes a list of talks presented at
the meeting somewhere on its Web site.
Find a topic that interests you and address the following
questions based on this selected example:

2. Cite the example you have selected and describe it. Include the
title of the presentation, the authors, and a synopsis of their
research and what they found.
Explain how the example you found relates to the environment
and public health—both directly and indirectly.
Identify the geographical areas or countries where you see this
particular environmental issue as a threat to public health and
support your findings with evidence-based research.
State whether or not you think some countries are more affected
by this issue than others. If so, provide at least one example and
support this finding with evidence-based research.
Identify the processes that are currently in place that aim to
address these issues affecting public health. State whether these
processes focus on the environmental issue or the resulting
public health issues.
Consider how you would approach the issue if you were given
the task to improve or mitigate it—whether it is related to the
environment or public health. Briefly describe your short- and
long-term improvement or mitigation plans.
Write your initial response in approximately 350 words. Apply
APA standards to citation of sources.
1b. Managing World Health: Technology and Limitations
By
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
There are several independent governmental organizations that
monitor public health around the world including the WHO and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Each of
these organizations maintains a Web site that publishes
assessments of the most urgent public health problems.
In this assignment, you will summarize information on a public
health issue of your choice.

3. Using the readings for this module, the Argosy University
online library resources, and the Internet, complete the
following:
Access the Web site of one of the following organizations, and
identify a major public health issue (global or regional) that, in
your opinion, is a priority issue that needs to be addressed.
CDC—United States
WHO—United Nations
Department of Health—United Kingdom
Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Department of Health—South Africa
Department of Health—Ireland
Ministry of Health—China
National Institute of Public Health—Mexico
Ministry of Health—Belize
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare—India
Based on the information available on the Web site you
reviewed, create a presentation focusing on a public health issue
of your choice. In your presentation, do the following:
Describe the technical details about your public health issue.
What is the mechanism through which public health is affected?
How long has this been a problem?
Is this problem caused by humans or is it naturally occurring?
Identify whether the environment affects this issue. If yes, how?
Identify the population affected.
List the geographical areas affected by this problem today and
those areas affected by this issue in the past.
If other countries have attempted to control or mitigate this
issue, what strategies and methods did they employ? Were they
successful in their attempts?
Describe how experts are addressing this issue. Consider, for
example, the following questions as they potentially relate to
your selected topic:
Are there any new vaccines available that can help?

4. Will clean water solve this issue? If so, what systems or
infrastructure are necessary to ensure clean water for this
region?
How are public health officials monitoring the progression of
this issue?
Be sure that your presentation addresses all of the above points.
In addition, make note of the following:
Use APA formatting for your presentation and use college-level
writing skills.
Organize your presentation, check your grammar, ensure your
information flows logically, and check that your final product
demonstrates unity and coherence.
Support your statements with scholarly references.
Prepare one slide, at the end of your presentation, as a reference
slide.
Use the speaker notes function to include remarks for each slide
as though you were actually giving this presentation to an
audience.
Develop a 10–12-slide presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint
format, excluding the introduction and reference slides. Apply
APA standards to citation of sources.
2a. Discussion—The Super Bug: A Possible Global Epidemic?
By
Saturday, February 20, 2016
An emerging concern in public health is the growing number of
drug-resistant infectious bacteria, also known as “super bugs”
and their evolving resistance to antibiotics. Commonly used
antibiotics are quickly becoming ineffective against increasing
infections. Drug resistance makes it significantly harder and
more expensive to treat an infection and can lead to some of the
worst outcomes for the patient. Alarmingly, the number of drug-

5. resistant infections is increasing worldwide indicating the
potential for a pandemic. For example, in Britain, the number of
deaths from drug-resistant infections increased from 3,757 in
2005 to 8,324 in 2008 (Boseley, 2008).
One of the greatest concerns with regard to drug-resistant
bacteria is tuberculosis, which can cause fatal lung
infections. Almost every country is reported to have cases of
tuberculosis that are resistant to standard first-line drugs. Fifty-
eight countries have reported at least one case that is resistant
to standard first- and second-line drugs (WHO, 2010).
Using the Argosy University online library resources, find at
least two journal articles that address the issue of super bugs
and respond to the following:
Select one type of drug-resistant infectious bacteria, for
example, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria or
methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA). Determine the countries that have the highest
concentrations of this infection. Include the country and
location. State how many new cases were reported within the
last five years in the U.S.
Identify the bacteria that caused the highest number of drug-
resistant infections in the U.S. How do these numbers differ
from other countries?
Examine how public health officials are attempting to control
and potentially eliminate drug-resistant bacteria.
Explain your opinion on the likelihood of drug-resistant
bacteria causing a pandemic and the severity of this pandemic.
Support your statements with scholarly references and
appropriate examples.
Write your initial response in approximately 350 words. Apply

6. APA standards to citation of sources.
2b. The Link between Population Growth and World Health
By
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
The US Census Bureau reports that there are nearly seven
billion people in the world (US Census Bureau, 2011). The
increase in population size over recent decades has created, and
will continue to create, environmental and public health
concerns. A larger population consumes already limited
resources and energy and creates more waste and pollution. A
larger population also exacerbates public health issues. For
example, a boost in population size can lead to an increase in
rates of infectious disease, homelessness, and poverty.
Currently, different parts of the world have varying population
growth rates. Population growth in more developed countries is
slowing down. For example, between 2005 and 2010, women
from North America had an average of only two children in
their lifetime. However, population growth rates in developing
countries are still quite high. Specifically, between 2005 and
2010, women from Africa had an average of 4.6 children in
their lifetime (United Nations: Department of Economic and
Social Affairs, Population Division, 2007).
In this assignment, you will estimate future population sizes and
their potential link to environmental health.
Using the readings for this module, Argosy University online
library resources, as well as resources from reliable academic or
governmental organizations, write a paper that addresses the
following:
Estimate the predicted population size for the world in the year
2060. Be sure to justify your estimate as well as cite and

7. explain the resources you used.
Identify a single disease that significantly increases in
prevalence when the human population increases in size.
Address the following based on this information:
Why is this issue likely to increase with an increasing
population size?
Are there any countries in particular that will be affected by
this issue more than others? What will cause this discrepancy?
How are food supply and nutrition impacted by the increasing
population size? When considering nutrition, do you think some
countries will be more susceptible than others? Explain and
support your answer.
What are governmental agencies currently doing to prevent or
mitigate concerns of inadequate food supply and nutrition
because of population growth?
Based on your research, do you believe that these policies
would change if the population growth increases dramatically
by 2060?
Support your statements with scholarly references and
appropriate examples.
Write a 2–3-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards
to citation of sources.
3a. Discussion—Environmental Consequences
By
Saturday, February 27, 2016
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On average, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates
that 23 percent of the global disease burden can be attributed to
the environment (World Resources Institute, n.d.).
In this assignment, you will use an interactive map to identify
world patterns of environmental hazards through mortality

8. rates. WHO has published a map providing the percentage of
deaths around the world that are attributed to environmental
issues from 2004. Access this map using the link given below
and review the values listed for different countries:
World Health Organization (WHO). (2004).
Public health and environment (PHE): Percentage of deaths and
DALYs attributable to the environment, 2004 deaths.
Retrieved from
http://web.archive.org/web/20130721135735/http:/gamapserver.
who.int/gho/interactive_charts/phe/total_percentage/atlas.html
Based on your research, complete the following:
Identify the top five countries that have the highest percentage
of deaths attributable to environmental problems. Are the
countries that you identified considered developed or
developing nations?
Identify the five countries that have the lowest percentage of
deaths attributed to environmental problems. Are the countries
you chose considered developed or developing nations?
Examine whether developed nations have higher or lower
mortality rates caused by environmental issues (as defined by
WHO) than developing nations.
Examine the countries with higher mortality rates from
environmental issues on the WHO map. Do they have high or
low population sizes when compared to those countries with
lower mortality rates?
Explain your position on whether the population size is directly
correlated with the environmental issues. Are there other factors
or health determinants, such as social or economic factors,
impacting this issue?
Examine whether the environmental issues would subside if
population sizes decreased and were maintained.
Using the readings for this module, the Argosy University

9. online library resources, and the Internet, respond to the
following:
Choosing one nation from the higher percentage and one from
the lower percentage, identify a minimum of two of their
environmental problems that can be linked to their mortality
rates.
Examine any similarities between their environmental problems
and those in your neighborhood.
Support your statements with scholarly references and
appropriate examples.
Write your initial response in a minimum of 350 words. Apply
APA standards to citation of sources.
3b. LASA 1: Analysis of an Environmental Disaster
By
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
,
Recent environmental disasters have significantly impacted the
human population in multiple ways. In this assignment, you will
identify a recent environmental disaster and discuss potential
correlated health impacts.
Begin this assignment by identifying one recent example of an
environmental disaster. For example, the BP oil spill or the
earthquakes in Haiti or Japan.
Using the readings for this module, the Argosy University
online resources, and the Internet, write a research paper
including the following:
Provide a description of the environmental event/disaster you
have identified. Include the following points:

10. Consider if the event was caused by humans or natural.
Examine the direct and indirect impact on immediate- and long-
term public health.
Identify data regarding mortality and/or morbidity outcomes, if
available.
Explain the geographical impact with respect to health. Also
consider the number of lives lost, environmental damage,
economic fallout, and long-term repercussions or impact.
Examine the research on the likelihood of this event recurring.
Identify and describe the immediate- and long-term emergency
response plans and efforts to the disaster you have selected. Be
sure to identify which groups, organizations, and/or
governments led or are leading the response efforts and the
various players who participated or are participating in this
response.
Examine the lessons learned from previous responses to similar
disasters. List at least three recommendations for protecting
public health from a recurrence and/or the aftermath of similar
disasters in the future.
Be sure to use a minimum of four external, peer-reviewed
journal articles or reliable Internet resources.
Write a 3–4-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards
to citation of sources.
4a. Discussion—Environmental Change and Community Health
By
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Regardless of ideology, overwhelming scientific evidence
suggests that the environment is changing and humans have
played a large part in creating this change (Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2007). Climate changes are
predicted to have an enormous impact on the environment and
global health, both directly and indirectly.

11. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
maintains a Web site that discusses the impacts of these
changes.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2011).
Climate change—Health and environmental effects: Health.
Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/health.html
Using the left navigation menu on the EPA Web site listed
above, select what you think is the most important issue that
your generation needs to address—for example, agriculture and
food supply or forests.
Using the readings for this module, the Argosy University
online library resources, and in particular the above link,
respond to the following:
Identify the generation that you are from, for example, baby
boomer, generation X, or generation Y.
Examine how the issue that you selected affects public health
directly or indirectly. How did your generation contribute to
this issue?
Briefly summarize how this issue came about. Explain what is
predicted to happen as climate change continues with respect to
the issue you have chosen. If you chose climate change as your
issue, then discuss the predicted impact on health.
Research how this issue is currently being addressed. Do you
think this is a good strategy, or can this issue be addressed in a
better way?
Support your statements with scholarly and credible references
as well as appropriate examples.

12. Write your initial response in approximately 350 words. Apply
APA standards to citation of sources.
4b. Climate Change Patterns Around the World
By
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
,
This week you will write a paper on the potential public health
impacts of climate change on different parts of the world. Many
experts predict that climate change will impact different parts of
the world in different ways. Some areas of the world may see
increased periods of drought while others may experience
increased periods of flooding (IPCC, 2007).
In addition, developing countries will most likely be impacted
more severely than developed countries (United Nations
Development Program [UNDP], n.d.).
Using the Argosy University online library resources and
reliable Internet resources, prepare a paper on three of the most
important examples of how climate change will impact public
health. Be sure to address the following:
Examine how the outcomes from climate change on public
health will differ between developed and developing countries.
Describe what the future will be like for these public health
issues as climate change becomes more severe.
Explain the mitigation and response plans in place to ameliorate
the effects of these changes.
Assess the feasibility of these plans. If you could design a plan
to address this issue, would it differ from current plans? If so,
how?
Be sure to support your positions with scholarly references—

13. including a reference list—and appropriate examples.
Write a 2–3-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards
to citation of sources..
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2007).
IPCC fourth assessment report: Climate change 2007 (AR4).
New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/
publications_and_data_reports.shtml
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (n.d.).
Environment and energy: Climate change and CDM.
Retrieved from
http://www.undp.org/energy/climate.htm
5a. LASA 2: History of Environmental Issues for an Area
By
Monday, March 14, 2016
,
In this assignment, you will select one region of the world with
known environmental issues and create a timeline of the events
in this area, going back no more than 200 years. For example,
you could choose to focus on the Gulf Coast in the United
States and its history of hurricanes, floods, and the recent oil
spill; the Love Canal disaster in New York; the Chernobyl
nuclear meltdown in Ukraine; or Canada’s tar-sands in Alberta.
Each of these areas has a history of environmental problems
that have impacted populations, and their health, drastically.
To help identify a region with known environmental events for
this assignment, consult your textbook, the WHO Public Health
and Environment Program’s Web site, and the UNEP’s Web

14. site. Please be sure to support your public health analysis of
these environmental issues with evidence-based research.
Using this timeline of events, create a presentation analyzing
the environmental issues in this region, including the following
topics/issues:
History—A brief timeline: Describe the environmental history
for the area(s)/region(s) impacted, including the environmental
disasters that have taken place and their immediate- and long-
term impacts on the population’s health in this region.
Wherever appropriate, include a description of the population(s)
in the region, along with demographics and population sizes.
This should take approximately 4–5 slides.
The factors that caused these disasters and public health
outcomes in this area. Be sure to list all known causative factors
at play and whether they are caused by humans and/or are
natural. This should take approximately 2–3 slides.
An analysis of how these events have impacted or will impact
the health and/or disease risk of this region of the world. Be
sure to address other determinants of health—social, economic,
cultural, and other environmental factors—in your analysis that
influence or will influence the magnitude of environmental
events on health outcomes in this region. Examine whether you
are focusing on a region with primarily developed or developing
countries and explain how this influences current and future
health outcomes. This should take approximately 4–5 slides.
A summary of past, current, and proposed efforts that aim to
help combat the effects of these environmental issues/threats on
health (local and/or global), including emergency response
planning and prevention efforts. This should take approximately
3–4 slides.
Three recommendations for strategies to protect populations in
this region from poor health outcomes due to these
environmental issues. Be sure that your three recommendations
are supported with evidence-based research. These could

15. include long-term policies, emergency response plans, or public
health programs that would protect public health in the region.
This should take approximately 3–4 slides.
References used for the project in APA format. This should take
approximately 2–3 slides.
Be sure to include detailed speaker notes for each slide to
elaborate on what you would say while presenting your
material.
Develop a 20–25-slide presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint
format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.
5b. Discussion—Ethics in Action
By
Sunday, March 13, 2016
,
In 1980, the US Congress enacted the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA), commonly referred to as the Superfund. This law
provides broad federal authority to clean up sites that are
contaminated with hazardous substances and has established a
trust fund for cleanup efforts that was created from taxes on
petroleum and chemical companies. This law also gives the EPA
authority to identify the responsible parties for cooperation in
the cleanup of the contaminated sites. If the responsible parties
are not found, the agency cleans up the sites with the Superfund
(US EPA, 2011).
The EPA Web site provides detailed descriptions of Superfund
sites all over the U.S. Review the Web site and select a site near
you for this assignment.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2011).
Superfund: Superfund sites where you live.

16. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm
Note:
If you live outside the U.S., find one in an area that interests
you from the map.
Using the readings for this module, the Argosy University
online library resources, and specifically, the link given above,
respond to the following:
What caused this environmental disaster?
If left unchecked, how would this impact human health in this
area?
What is currently being done to clean up this area?
How much has the cleanup cost so far?
What is your assessment of the cleanup plan?
Could the contamination of this site have been prevented? How?
Support your statements with scholarly references and
appropriate examples.
Write your initial response in approximately 350 words. Apply
APA standards to citation of sources.