Open AccessCommunity Environmental Health Assessment in Peru's Desert Hills and Rainforest
Author(s) -
Virginia Baffigo,
Jorge Albinagorta,
Luis Nauca,
Percy Rojas,
R. Campo Alegre,
Brian Hubbard,
John Sarisky
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.91.10.1580
Subject(s) - public health , human settlement , urbanization , geography , environmental health , environmental planning , population , environmental protection , community health , christian ministry , economic growth , political science , medicine , archaeology , nursing , law , economics
Peru's expanding population and rapid urbanization--a result of migration to its largest cities--have stressed the country's public services infrastructure and the provision of public health and environmental health services. In response, the Ministry of Health established the General Directorate of Environmental Health (DIGESA), the branch charged with assuring adequate environmental health services to populations in rural and urban areas. The magnitude of the environmental health problems in peri-urban settlements, however, has exceeded the capacity of DIGESA to respond. The Urban Environmental Health Project is an effort to develop the ability of local communities to address these problems