Harari Raul, Harari Homero
IFA (Corporation for Development of Production and Work Environment), Casilla de Correo 17-08-8386, Quito, Ecuador.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Sep;1076:660-77. doi: 10.1196/annals.1371.082.
Environmental health problems of children in Latin America and Ecuador are complex due to the close relationship that exists between social and environmental factors. Extended poverty and basic problems, such as the lack of drinking water and sanitation, are common. Infectious diseases are the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality among children. Development in industry and the introduction of chemical substances in agriculture add new risks including pesticide use, heavy metal exposure, and air pollution. Major problems can be divided into (a) lack of basic infrastructure, (b) poor living conditions, (c) specific environmental problems, and (d) child labor. Reproductive health disorders are frequent in developing countries like Ecuador. Issues related to children's health should consider new approaches, creative methodologies, and the search for independent predictors to separate environmental from social problems. Only with knowledge of the specific contribution of each factor, can it be possible to develop a strategy for prevention.
由于社会和环境因素之间存在密切关系，拉丁美洲及厄瓜多尔儿童的环境卫生问题十分复杂。长期贫困以及诸如缺乏饮用水和卫生设施等基本问题很常见。传染病是儿童发病和死亡的最大原因。工业发展以及农业中化学物质的引入增加了新的风险，包括农药使用、重金属暴露和空气污染。主要问题可分为：(a) 缺乏基本基础设施；(b) 生活条件差；(c) 特定环境问题；(d) 童工问题。在厄瓜多尔这样的发展中国家，生殖健康障碍很常见。与儿童健康相关的问题应考虑新方法、创新方法以及寻找独立预测因素，以区分环境问题和社会问题。只有了解每个因素的具体作用，才有可能制定预防策略。
