Abstract
Environmental health is at the intersection between health and the environment. However, it still has a recent (and narrow) history as a scientific area, mainly addressing human biomonitoring and toxicological issues. Only recently additional environmental ‘layers’, other than the traditional chemical, biological and physical environmental determinants, have been considered. This broader perspective of environmental health also encompasses digital, psychosocial, political, socioeconomic and cultural determinants, all of them relevant when considering human health from a planetary health paradigm. This reflects the progressive adoption of a systemic perspective regarding the impact of gains for human health and well-being towards a sustainable environment. It also implies a multi-method and participatory approach to understand the intertwined relationship between environmental changes and human health. In this paper, the broader approach to environmental health is discussed in order to ‘set the stage’ for introducing the Institute of Environmental Health (ISAMB) of the Lisbon School of Medicine, Portugal. Each of the research groups and labs that compose ISAMB are presented, as well as their main lines of research. Present and planned contributions of ISAMB to advance knowledge on environmental health and for promoting human health gains in an environmentally sustainable way are also discussed.
Highlights
Human health is better than ever before
We are witnessing unprecedented global environmental changes, such as climate change, human migrations, a digital and robotic revolution, and a pandemic with unpredictable health, economic and political consequences. These accelerated-paced changes encompass major challenges for both human health and environmental sustainability, which calls for a paradigm shift regarding the way we relate to ourselves, others and the environment broadly considered
We are convinced that these will continue to drive international and national agendas, and we argue for the harmonious combination of local and global environmental health needs
Summary
Human health is better than ever before. In a relatively short period of time, we have witnessed an impressive increase of life expectancy and an accelerated growth of the world’s population (from 1 billion in 1800 to an estimated 7.7 billion in 2019 [1,2]). The link between the two—human health and natural environment—has been mainly considered from a narrow perspective In this context, a limited set of environmental determinants (physical, chemical and biological) has been considered in relation to human health [7,8,9]. ISAMB conceptualizes ‘environmental health’ as the assessment and management of ‘modifiable’ environmental factors (physical, biological, chemical, digital, psychosocial, political, socioeconomic and cultural), from both multidimensional natural and built environments that determine human health and Sustainability 2020, 12, 8963 well-being, as well as related behaviours, in a lifespan perspective [13]. The five RGs and the two labs of ISAMB are described in more detail, with a particular focus on their main research endeavours and on how these contribute to better human health while fostering environmental sustainability
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