Seasonal hazards and health risks in lower-income countries: field testing a multi-disciplinary approach

Roger Few,Pham Tran,Paul R Hunter,Iain Lake,Vu Thien

doi:10.1186/1476-069x-8-s1-s16

Abstract

Understanding how risks to human health change as a result of seasonal variations in environmental conditions is likely to become of increasing importance in the context of climatic change, especially in lower-income countries. A multi-disciplinary approach can be a useful tool for improving understanding, particularly in situations where existing data resources are limited but the environmental health implications of seasonal hazards may be high. This short article describes a multi-disciplinary approach combining analysis of changes in levels of environmental contamination, seasonal variations in disease incidence and a social scientific analysis of health behaviour. The methodology was field-tested in a peri-urban environment in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, where poor households face alternate seasonal extremes in the local environment as the water level in the Delta changes from flood to dry season. Low-income households in the research sites rely on river water for domestic uses, including provision of drinking water, and it is commonly perceived that the seasonal changes alter risk from diarrhoeal diseases and other diseases associated with contamination of water. The discussion focuses on the implementation of the methodology in the field, and draws lessons from the research process that can help in refining and developing the approach for application in other locations where seasonal dynamics of disease risk may have important consequences for public health.

Highlights

In many parts of the world, annual variations in climate produce major seasonal changes in environmental conditions
In order to understand the implications for public health and to design effective interventions in environmental health and health promotion, a broader reach of disciplines is required that engages with how people living under conditions of poverty perceive and respond to such hazards [6,7]
The principal role of this exploratory project was to pilot a multi-disciplinary approach to work on seasonal health risks tailored to the research challenges and the public health priorities of lower-income countries

Summary

Introduction

In many parts of the world, annual variations in climate produce major seasonal changes in environmental conditions. Seasonal dynamics still tend to have poorly specified implications for human health, especially within developing countries. Such changes are perhaps most marked on the flood plains of large rivers with high seasonal variation in discharge [3]. Gold-standard epidemiological analysis of disease outcomes from hydro-meteorological hazards is challenging, partly because of the multiple transmission pathways for many water-related infections in settings of poor environmental health quality. There is important and undervalued practical scope for correlating data on the environmental hazard with data on health outcomes. In order to understand the implications for public health and to design effective interventions in environmental health and health promotion, a broader reach of disciplines is required that engages with how people living under conditions of poverty perceive and respond to such hazards [6,7]

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion