Case Studies : Ecohealth
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Item Mining, contamination, and health in Ecuador : research leads to action to improve human health(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Waldick, LisaGold has been mined for centuries in the hills of southwestern Ecuador. Today, the mining is small scale but the problems it brings are large — unsafe conditions, environmental contamination, and harm to human health. Researchers are studying the impact of mining activities in several communities along the Puyango River. They have found that the effects extend beyond the immediate area to farming families living downstream. Two communities are now taking steps to address the problems.Item Health, environment, and indigenous culture : revitalizing Chile's Mapuche communities(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Conway, KevinIndigenous people around the world are among the planet’s poorest and most marginalized. They are also the most dependent on sustainable, healthy environments for their well-being. In Chile, researchers and Mapuche organizations, supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), are working together to better manage the local environment and improve community health. In the process, they have developed an innovative “intercultural” approach to community development built on equity and respect for the social and cultural demands of local Indigenous populations.Item Housing and human capital in Cuba : community efforts improve health in inner-city Havana(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Campbell, ColinInner-city life can test people’s endurance. When neighbourhoods decline, human health soon follows. A project in Cuba supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has shown that, in the struggle to improve community health, the biggest asset may be residents themselves.Item Fighting malaria without DDT : better management of the environment a key to disease control(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Pepall, JenniferUnder the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico was committed to eliminating DDT use by 2002. The country’s malaria-control efforts, however, depended on this chemical. Researchers set about to develop alternate strategies by addressing factors that affect malaria’s spread: humans, mosquitoes, and the local environment in which the parasites persist. As a result of this integrated approach, Mexico was able to abandon DDT ahead of schedule.Item Taking control of air pollution in Mexico City : a clean air drive targets health improvements and health care savings(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Hibler, MichelleLocated in a pollutant-trapping valley, Mexico City — one of the world’s largest cities — has had limited success in battling suffocating air pollution. A new understanding of the health impacts of this pollution — and of people’s role in both the problem and the solution — could lead to better targeted, more effective air improvement programs.Item Cleaner city and better health in Kathmandu : community solidarity helps to solve environmental and health problems(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Dale, StephenAn entrenched system of social organization, environmental degradation, and poverty have conspired to create a public health crisis in Kathmandu. Waterborne and helminthic diseases are rampant, as are respiratory and digestive illnesses. But the situation is improving dramatically for the city’s poor, thanks to a unique collaboration between Nepalese and Canadian researchers and the work of a local nongovernmental organization.Item Breaking the cycle of poverty in Ethiopia : agricultural and sanitary practices improve incomes and health(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Crawley, MikeCommunities in the highlands of Ethiopia face what seems to be a simple problem: not enough food. Researchers working to increase food production in the region have discovered that it is not so straightforward, however. Too small landholdings, poor agricultural practices, a lack of potable water, and other factors contribute to a vicious cycle of deteriorating health and environments — and to increasing poverty. Supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre, they have also identified ways in which farming families themselves can break out of this cycle.Item Tracking health and well-being in Goa’s mining belt : new tools promote the sustainable development of mining(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Conway, KevinA strong mining sector can provide “good” jobs and generate much needed revenue for cash-strapped governments. But it can also ruin landscapes and transform communities. In the Indian state of Goa, researchers supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) have developed a series of tools to assess the trade-offs. The goal is to ensure that the mining and mineral industry contributes equitably to the well-being of local people.Item Preventing pesticide poisonings in Ecuador : integrated pest management yields economic and health benefits(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Dale, StephenPotato farmers in the province of Carchi in northern Ecuador suffer a number of health problems caused by high exposure to chemical insecticides. With funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and other donors, researchers and communities have found ways of reducing pesticide use and farm families’ exposure, without reducing yields.Item Mercury contamination in the Amazon : reducing soil erosion may provide a lasting solution(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Johnson, MaureenBrazilian and Canadian researchers seeking to find the source of mercury contamination in the Amazon came to a startling conclusion: agricultural practices rather than gold mining were most to blame. Supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the research team is now working with communities to find short- and long-term solutions to the serious health and environmental problem.Item Malaria and agriculture in Kenya : a new perspective on the links between health and ecosystems(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Pepall, JenniferMalaria is thought to have emerged as a virulent disease at the same time as the early practice of agriculture — about 7,000 years ago. Today, a project supported by the International Development Research Centre is taking a new look at the links between agriculture and malaria. The goal is to reduce the incidence of the disease.Item From forests to fields in Côte d'Ivoire : improve resource management, improve human health(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2003-04) Conway, KevinWhat happens when policies and programs to promote economic growth unexpectedly wreack havoc with the environment and people’s health? In Côte d’Ivoire, researchers supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) are looking at ways to reduce the harmful health impacts of unbridled agricultural development and of a large hydroelectric dam. But there’s a twist — rather than focusing on health services, they are trying to improve people’s health by better managing the local resource base.