Pollution and Health
About the course
Target group
Health and Care Workforce (HCWF)
Key words
Course introduction
his course explores how the design of buildings and cities can impact health and the environment, focusing on ways to create healthier, more sustainable spaces. It begins by examining the harmful effects of pharmaceutical waste from hospitals on our water, soil, and air, and explores strategies to reduce this contamination and protect ecosystems.
The course then looks at the connection between the built environment and public health. It explains how well-designed buildings and urban areas can promote well-being, improve indoor air quality, and support healthier lifestyles. Special attention is given to designing future hospitals that are adaptable, efficient, and environmentally friendly.
Another key topic is understanding how environmental issues like pollution, noise, and heat can lead to health problems such as obesity, respiratory illnesses, and mental health disorders. The course introduces the concept of salutogenic design, which means creating spaces that actively promote health and well-being.
Through real-world examples and practical strategies, participants will learn how thoughtful design can improve public health, reduce environmental harm, and contribute to building better, healthier communities.
Details to know
Downloadable certificate
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Assessment
7 Quizzes
Learning outcomes
- Learning Outcome 1: Identify the sources and environmental impacts of hospital waste, particularly pharmaceuticals and contaminants of emerging concern.
- Learning Outcome 2: Analyse the pathways through which these contaminants affect water, air, and soil quality.
- Learning Outcome 3: Evaluate strategies and best practices for reducing pharmaceutical waste and mitigating its environmental impact.
- Learning Outcome 4: Understand regulatory frameworks and their role in minimizing contamination from hospital and pharmaceutical waste.
- Learning Outcome 5: Develop strategies to implement sustainable waste management practices in healthcare and urban environments.
- Understanding the role of built Environment in Health: Recognize how the built environment influences health and well-being, and the role of architecture in creating sustainable healthcare facilities.
- Application of Evidence-Based Assessment Tools: Utilize evidence-based assessment tools to evaluate healthcare environments, ensuring they promote efficiency, patient safety, and well-being.
- Identifying key requirements for Future Hospitals: Define the strategic requirements such as flexibility, resilience, and sustainability that are essential for the next-generation hospital design.
- Promote Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Understand the importance of involving multiple stakeholders and emerging professional roles, such as doctor architects and hospital planners, in healthcare design.
- Implement Sustainable and Innovative Strategies: Develop strategies to incorporate green building practices, digital health innovations, and inclusive design to meet future healthcare needs.
- Understanding the impact of Urbanization on Health: gain a comprehensive understanding of how global urbanization trends and demographic shifts, such as ageing populations, contribute to both opportunities and health-related risk factors in cities.
- Evaluating tools for Urban Health Assessment: analyse and evaluate various urban health assessment tools (e.g., walkability and proximity tools) and how these tools can be used to identify areas of improvement and implement health-promoting changes in urban environments.
- Exploring Environmental Risk Factors and their impact on health: explore the key environmental risk factors (e.g., soil, air, noise, light pollution, urban heat island effect) and understand their contribution to non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, respiratory issues, and mental health disorders.
- Analysing the role of Design in promoting Healthy Lifestyles: examine the influence of urban planners and designers in creating environments that promote physical activity, reduce sedentary behaviour, and improve overall socio-economic and environmental conditions.
- Applying healthy Urban Design Strategies: apply urban health design strategies, including the promotion of walkability and universal design principles, to reduce environmental risks and enhance well-being in urban settings.
- Integrating health and sustainability into Urban Planning: connect urban health concepts with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as reducing inequalities, promoting sustainable cities, and addressing climate resilience, to create urban spaces that enhance public health and overall well-being.
More detailed Learning Outcomes can be found in module introductions.
The hospital wastes, their impact and management
Lessons
Introduction 1. The impact of hospital waste and pharmaceuticals in the environment 2. The impact of hospital waste and pharmaceuticals in the environment. Italian examples. Strategies ReferencesNext-Generation Hospital
Lessons
Introduction 1. Hospital of the future and territorial healthcare network 2. Key messages from the technical brief: hospitals of the future 3. Future challenges for the European Region: hospitals of the future ReferencesUrban health: Salutogenic Cities and Therapeutic Landscape Design
Lessons
Introduction 1. Salutogenic Cities and Therapeutic Landscape Design 2. Design Strategies from literature References Course Evaluation
Co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union under Grant Agreement number 101056563.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.