Environmental Health as a Determinant of Socioeconomic Development: The Need to Modify Contemporary Malaysian Strategies

While Malaysia has made significant advances in improving the quality of life of its citizens through socioeconomic development, which has included control of major tropical diseases and provision of modern health and medical services, recent episodes of air, water, and soil pollution caused by domestic, industrial and transportation activities indicate an increasing cost in environmental health. Industrial diversification has also led to an increased variety of occupational exposures that are hazardous to health. Contemporary environmental protection policies in Malaysia, and worldwide, are only partially successful and greater effort must be given to prevention, reduction, or recycling of wastes, and to protection of workers from occupational hazards. The need for scientific evidence to justify changing behaviours- that are damaging to environments and the communities they support is reviewed. Examples of epidemiological studies, new analytical protocols and biological monitoring methods are given. Eight strategic areas that need to be modified in order to better address behavioural environmental problems as systems, and to lead towards a sustainable economy with optimal adaptation to the environment are suggested. ABSTRAK Sementara Malaysia telah banyak mencapai kemajuan dalam mempertingkatkan kualiti hidup penduduknya melalui pembangunan sosioekonomi termasuk pengawalan penyakit tropika utama dan peruntukan perkhidmatan kesihatan dan perubatan moden, episod-episod pencemaran udara, air dan tanah yang dihasilkan oleh kegiatan domestik, industri dan pengangkutan di hari-hari kebelakangan ini menunjukkan pertambahan kos kesihatan sekitaran. Pempelbagaian industri telah juga menambahkan variasi pendedahan kerja yang berbahaya terhadap kesihatan. Polisi perlindungan alam sekitar masa kini di Malaysia, dan di seluruh dunia, agak terhad kejayaannya dan usaha yang lebih gigih diperlukan bagi menghalang, mengurang atau menggunakan semula sisa buangan serta melindungi para pekerja daripada mala petaka kerja. Keperluan bukti saintifik bagi menjustifikasikan perubahan tingkah laku yang membahayakan alam sekitar dan masyarakat yang ditanggungnya diulas. Contoh-contoh kajian epidemiologi, tata cara analisis yang baru serta metod permonitoran biologi diberikan. Lapan bidang strategik yang perlu diubahsuai bagi menghadapi dengan lebih berkesan masalah tingkah laku-alam sekitar sebagai sistem serta memandu ke arah satu bentuk ekonomi yang berterusan dengan pengubahsuaian yang optimum terhadap alam sekitar dicadangkan.