Woodward A, Hales S, Litidamu N, Phillips D, Martin J
Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.
Bull World Health Organ. 2000;78(9):1148-55.
The biological and physical environment of the planet is changing at an unprecedented rate as a result of human activity, and these changes may have an enormous impact on human health. One of the goals of human development is to protect health in the face of rapid environmental change, but we often fail to do this. The aim in this paper is to distinguish between socioeconomic aspects of development that are likely to be protective and those that are likely to increase vulnerability (the capacity for loss resulting from environmental change). Examples include climate change in the Pacific. We conclude that protecting human health in a changing world requires us to take steps to minimize harmful change wherever possible, and at the same time to be prepared for surprises. The goals of mitigation (reducing or preventing change) and adaptation (response to change) are not mutually exclusive. In fact, steps to make populations more resilient in the face of change are often similar to those that are needed to lighten the load on the environment. We need social policies that convert economic growth into human development. Wider application of sustainable development concepts is part of the solution. In particular, there is a need to promote health as an essential asset of poor and vulnerable populations. It is their key to productivity and to surviving shocks; it is also the key to achieving broader development goals such as universal education. For these reasons it is in the interests of all sectors--economic, social and environmental--to play their particular roles in protecting and improving health.
由于人类活动，地球的生物和物理环境正以前所未有的速度发生变化，这些变化可能对人类健康产生巨大影响。人类发展的目标之一是在快速的环境变化面前保护健康，但我们常常做不到这一点。本文的目的是区分发展中可能具有保护作用的社会经济方面与可能增加脆弱性（因环境变化而遭受损失的能力）的方面。例如太平洋地区的气候变化。我们得出结论，在不断变化的世界中保护人类健康要求我们尽可能采取措施将有害变化降至最低，同时为意外情况做好准备。减缓（减少或防止变化）和适应（应对变化）的目标并非相互排斥。事实上，使人口在面对变化时更具复原力的措施往往与减轻环境负担所需的措施相似。我们需要能将经济增长转化为人类发展的社会政策。更广泛地应用可持续发展概念是解决办法的一部分。特别是，有必要将促进健康作为贫困和弱势群体的一项基本资产加以推动。健康是他们提高生产力和抵御冲击的关键；也是实现普及教育等更广泛发展目标的关键。出于这些原因，经济、社会和环境所有部门在保护和改善健康方面发挥各自特定作用符合各方利益。
