Volume I contains environmental health background material as well as a checklist for integrating environmental health into projects. The analysis shows that these documents contain very little input from health specialists. Volume II offers a cross-sectoral analysis of the literature. Drawing from some 2,000 books and articles, and about 300 published Bank documents, it summarizes the major themes of the literature, demonstrating that, outside the health sector, health has not played a significant role in setting policies and priorities. Volume III discusses the compatibility of environmental and health considerations, their policy implications for the Bank, and recommendations for future work with other agencies.
Recommendations look at tapping the potential of sectors outside health to improve human health.
Environmental health differs from public health in that it stresses prevention and concentrates on the human living environment. A mistaken notion has developed that what is good for the environment is also good for public health. This has led to a potentially damaging chain reaction that runs from national policies to household activities. Starting with basic ignorance about the linkages between ecology, health, and human behavior, the reaction concludes with the wrong messages for setting sustainable policies, promoting economic incentives, and encouraging changes in behavior. The most notable manifestation of the chain reaction is over-emphasizing pollution control while ignoring other equally important public health issues.