Understanding environmental determinants is vital for several reasons:
- Disease Prevention: Identifying environmental risk factors helps in developing targeted interventions to prevent diseases. For instance, improving water sanitation can reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases.
- Health Equity: Environmental determinants often contribute to health disparities. Addressing these factors can promote health equity by ensuring all populations have access to healthy environments.
- Policy Development: Knowledge of environmental determinants informs public health policies and regulations aimed at reducing exposure to harmful environmental factors.
