Public health safety and environment in inadequate hospital and healthcare settings: a review

- Decentralization increases access to health care and reduces environmental diseases.
- High child fatalities partly attest the need for persistent environment care.
- Patient's consistent visit is good for health and environment planning.
- The funds received are earmarked for building without decisions on health services.
- Strengthening Rio Conventions implementation improves environmental and health care.

ObjectivesPublic health safety and environmental management are concerns that pose challenges worldwide. This paper briefly assesses a selected impact of the environment on public health.Study designThe study used an assessment of environmental mechanism to analyse the underlying different pathways in which the health sector is affected in inadequate hospital and health care settings.MethodsWe reviewed the limited available evidence of the association between the health sector and the environment, and the likely pathways through which the environment influences health. The paper also models the use of private health care as a function of costs and benefits relative to public care and no care.ResultsThe need to enhancing policies to improve the administration of health services, strengthening interventions on environment using international agreements, like Rio Conventions, including measures to control hospital-related infection, planning for human resources and infrastructure construction development have linkage to improve environment care and public health. The present study findings partly also demonstrate the influence of demand for health on the environment.ConclusionThe list of possible interventions includes enhancing policies to improve the administration of health services, strengthening Rio Conventions implementation on environmental concerns, control of environmental hazards and public health.