Eliminating Environmental Disparities a precursor to eliminate Health Disparities
Arekere, D.M., Ph.D.1; B.M. Rivers, Ph.D. 2; and B.L. Green, Ph.D.2
1. Interim Director and Visiting Asst Prof, Texas A&M University; and 2. Assistant Professor and Professor, Moffitt Cancer Center, College Station, TX
People of color and the poor live in areas with fewer and inferior environmental goods and services in addition to being exposed to a greater proportion of environmental risks that lead to diseases. Environmental disparities lead to health disparities. This link has not been clearly or sufficiently made in research or practice to effect health policy discussions. Both environmental injustice and health disparities are caused by the structural barriers and exclusionary processes. Understanding these overlapping pathways leading to the environmental and health disparities is as important as is the urgent need to design and implement mechanisms that alleviate some of the shortcomings of the built environment. The latter is even more pertinent in the face of the nexus between property, power, people and progress given the growing economic inequality, increasing diversity and shrinking safety net(s). The role researchers and practitioners play in determining the nature and type of built environments, through research and influencing policymaking, where people of color and the poor live, work, learn and play are very important. Environmental justice framework is central to eliminating both environmental and health disparities. Environmental justice movement should join hands with public health and health disparities professionals to eliminate environmental disparities in order to eliminate health disparities. The attainment of the two overarching goals of Healthy People 2010, improving quality of life and increasing life expectancy; and eliminating health disparities, hinges substantially on improving the provision of more and better environmental goods and services, especially by increasing public resources including better schools, parks and recreational facilities.
