ABSTRACT
The health of a population, if it is to be maintained in a 'sustainable state' (King, 1990), requires the continued support of clean air, safe water, adequate food, tolerable temperature, stable climate, protection from solar ultraviolet radiation, and high levels of biodiversity. Socio-economic changes and health interventions have improved public health in recent decades, although there are still many disparities in fulfilled health potential on the global level and amenable morbidity and premature mortality continue to exist (World Health Organisation (WHO), 1995a). However, as a counter-effect of economic development, health impairments have started to occur as the result of deteriorating global environmental conditions.
