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  • Title: Eco-health in the rural environment.
    Author: Carr-harris J.
    Journal: Health Millions; 1993 Apr; 1(2):2-6. PubMed ID: 12286468.
    Abstract:
    The rural population in India is exposed to working and living conditions: drinking supply, sanitation, fuel wood shortages, maternal mortality, alcoholism among males, pesticide use, environmental degradation, migrant workers, sickness and injury compensation in natural resource based industry, and mechanization in the workplace. Good health is dependent on a supportive home environment which physically provides protection, has access to safe potable drinking water and sanitary facilities, and reinforces health habits and behavior. One of the greatest health hazards is the lack of safe drinking water. The result is increases in water-related diseases such as dysentery, cholera, diarrhea, and hepatitis among men, women, children, and fetuses. Today only 30% of the total population has access to sufficient, safe drinking water. Personal hygiene is also affected by inadequate supplies. Another hazard is waste disposal, which if improperly managed, results in hookworm and ascarias infestations. Barefoot people are particularly affected. In 1982, 8790 villages were found to be without latrines, or with only bucket latrines. The firewood fuel shortages impact directly on women through food habit changes and excessive labor in acquiring adequate supplies. Women are also affected by high rates of anemia which are a by-product of environmental and social conditions. There are a number of psychosocial conditions that impact on the health of women. In Himachal Pradesh women complain that their husbands drink too much alcohol, which increases acts of domestic violence. Male migration for work places women in stressful work conditions managing the land and child care, and exposing women to sexually transmitted diseases. The workplace also had hazards. Agricultural workers have little bargaining power and few organizations representing their interests. A brief description is given of conditions among plantation workers in Assam and Darjeeling. There are hazards due to unskilled workers operating machinery, exposure to harmful pesticides, and the lack of benefits for sickness or injury. Mining hazards are characterized. Awareness of conditions will hopefully lead to efforts to establish preventive health.
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