Health, population and environment education is introduced as an integrated subject due to profound interrelationship that exists among the subject matters of these three disciplines. Any changes in one discipline directly influences changes in other two subjects. For instance, the effect of population growth lies in health and environment aspects. Due to rapid population growth, degradation of the resources takes place. Degradation of environmental resources affect in healthy living. On the other hand, controlled population creates a balanced environment and consequently, it tends to produce healthy people. Therefore, education of health, population and environment acts as supplementary of a one another. The following are the different aspects of health, population and environment which shows the relationship between them:
The natural physical aspects and man- made things come under the physical aspect. Man produces different physical things to satisfy his/her needs and wants. While producing such materials people use raw materials available in their environment. Thus, the development works like construction of roads, canals, bridge, industries, etc. are the physical environment. This is the reason that the density of population is greater in places where different physical aspects are available. So, the physical aspect is especially interrelated with one other and to various aspects of health and population.
Various aspects of health and population are related with the biological aspects of environment. Biological things available in various places are different according to the geographical situation. Man gets food items from biological things like plants, birds and animals. Density of population is more on those places where there is fertile and cultivable land. Livestock farming and agriculture production are better on those places. People can get fresh items needed for their life. Their economic condition becomes better. Thus, health, population and various aspects of environment are related to each other.
Man has made different social and cultural backgrounds like festivals, religious tradition, life- style, customs, living standard, etc. Various aspects of health, population and environment are related to social and cultural aspects. Competition to spend more to celebrate festivals and ceremonies effects the economic condition of the people. If people use excessive food in such traditions that also has adverse effect on their health. It is necessary for us to build such traditions that to do affect the environment get polluted. Then, diseases like cholera, dysentery and typhoid may spread sometimes it could lead to ultimate death of people. So, several activities should be organized without affecting the natural environment. People must realize that “to disturb the environment is to disturb them”.
The economic aspect has direct relationship with the various aspects of health, population and environment. It the economic aspect of the country is weak, it is reflected on health of the people. To satisfy their immediate needs, people excessively use environment resources like air, water, land, plants, etc. Excessive use of them degrades the environment. It causes imbalance in environment. Ultimately, the degradation in the environment causes an adverse effect on the health of people, living standard of population will go down.
The development of science and technology has had an impact on every field. It has made the people easy to move here and there. It has made easy for them to get different knowledge about the countries in the world. People can easily perform different task with the help of different equipment, machines, and instruments. The proper use of science and technology has had positive effect and misuse of it has had dangerous impact on the environment in every field.
It refers to the formation of policies at the administrative and government level. The political aspect of the country affects all aspects of the health, population and environment education. If there is political commitment to develop these aspects, according to the changing time and circumstances, various programmes will be given priorities from the government. Environment resources will get properly utilized and it helps to conserve the environment. Various population programmes will be conducted. As a result productive human beings will be produced which, can be utilized for development works. Thus, it will help to make all development works effective and productive.
Various aspects of health, population and environment education are related to the people’s feeling, thinking and altitudes. They may be attributed to the psychological aspect. The feelings for the conservation and protection must come from the inner core of the heart of man. They will help to keep surrounding neat, clean and also helps to conserve birds, animals and plants sincerely. The habit of proper management of wastage must being from each household. Such habit helps to keep the environment neat, clean and green. The conservation and protection of air, water, land and settlement zones preserved in environment, helps to keep us healthy.
Health education is the process that informs motivation and helps people to adopt and maintain healthy practices and life style, advocates environmental changes as need to facilitate the goals and conducts professional trainings and research to the same end.
Population education is an educational program which provides learners to understand the interrelationships of population dynamics and other factors of quality of life and to make informed and rational decisions of improving the quality of life of himself, his community, nation and the world.
Environment education involves teaching about value judgments and ability to think clearly about complex problems about the environment which are political, economic and philosophical as they are technical.
Health is broadly studied in medical science and scientific achievement may affect human health in positive as well as in negative ways. Some new inventions like x-rays, ultra sonography, computerized tomography (CT) scan, and other various scientific technologies are widely used in diagnosis and treatment of different diseases of human beings. These new technologies are useful in tackling against human diseases and health hazards. Use of certain technologies is harmful to human health and environment. Some of science and technologies are useful in conservation of environment. If we use the scientific knowledge and skill rationally, aspects of environment, population and health are effectively developed. In such several ways health, population and environment are inter-related on the basis of science and technological aspects.
Economic aspect is the sum of all products of human activities and advancement of economy along with civilization activities. Economic funds are needed for conducting health, population and environmental activities. These aspects determine the availability and accessibility of health services. Sound health of the people helps them to increase their capabilities to generate income. People utilize their income in environmental sanitation and population and population control activities. Similarly, limited population makes family happy and economically strong. Highly populated areas suffer more from environment hazard and pollution. Poverty is one of the main causes to degrade the environment. Poor people over exploit natural resources like land, forest, water etc. to meet their basic needs. In such several ways health, population and environment are inter-related through economic aspect.
Physical aspects include those things, which have non-living physical existence. They also influence the total surrounding from different angles. These aspects include natural resources like air, water, soil etc. Man made components like development works, constructions etc. have physical existence. The quality and status of physical aspects affects the various aspects of population and health. The place with adequate facility of transportation, health services, food education, employment, physical facilities etc., has high density and population pressure. Thus, physical aspects of environment influence the population and health.
The study of health, population and environment education has taught us following things:
The abiotic and biotic factors around us and the interrelationship between them is the environment. If the environment is not fresh, balanced and in proper way, we should preserve it for our next generation. We are getting all the things for our life from the environment. We are born grow and will die in the environment. Thus there should be relationship between human being and environment.
_________of environmental resources has negative affect in healthy living.