Effects of Radiations on Public Health

Introduction

The current world is characterized by various technological advancements. With these advancements, radiations come which are harmful to the health of people. Electromagnetic radiations and those from mobile phones are only a few. This is a major problem since the radiations are universal. It affects people from all over the world. Therefore, their effect on public health brings up a topic that is worth the discussion.

Effects of Radiations on Public Health

The major contributing factor to the increase in exposure of radiations is the vast use of mobile phones. The number of users of mobile phones has continually increased over the years. On a world wide scale, there were about 4.3 billion subscriptions. Therefore, radiations have become a recent issue of discussion with reference to public health. Mobile phones and other digital wireless systems use electromagnetic radiation. Research shows that cancer cases have continually increased in the recent past (Friis, 2011). These electromagnetic radiations have been linked with the increasing cases of cancer. Unlike many other diseases, cancer has no cure. Consequently, this poses a great threat on the safety and health of the public.

All type of radiations from the mobile phones is absorbed by the head. The risks that this has to the health of the user have been named by many health agencies in the world. Heat shock proteins are produced affecting the thermal equilibrium of the cells. This causes the death of cells in the human body. It is not only the mobile phones that produce such radiations. They are also produced by micro wave heaters and any other equipment which use radiations. Therefore, exposure to these radiations can be disastrous to the health of the public. However, research is still in progress for more information of the link of the radiations to cancer.

Management Strategies

The World Health Organization announced its findings in May 2011. In their report, they discovered investigation on the main causes of cancer. They classified the electromagnetic radiations from mobile phones as one of the possible causes of cancer. This came as a shock to most people owing to the number of mobile phone users all over the world. Thus, precautionary measures had to be taken from that. Governments also had to come up with strategies to help to reduce the risk of the public to this menace. Since the use of mobile phones cannot be terminated, the government had to link with the manufacturing companies. This would ensure lasting and adoptable methods of dealing with this problem.

Adults need mobile phones all the time for the smooth running of their businesses and activities. However, children can do many activities without use of mobile phones. For this reason, some countries have recommended a reduced use of mobile phones for children. This is because the development of cancerous cells takes some time. It is gradual and can be cumulative from a tender age (Kapur, 2010). This is one strategy implemented by the governments. Most governments have encouraged and recommended the introduction and usage of hand free devices when using mobile phones. This functions reduce the radiation to the head.

In the recent past, countries like Sweden, France and Germany have also made various recommendations and put up strategies for this health hazard. They have encouraged their citizens to put mobile phones away from their bodies. These functions reduce the exposure of their bodies to the radiations. The other strategy that they have put in place is education of their citizens. There have been extensive campaigns to advice citizens on the safe use of mobile phones. For example, the use of mobile phones in the car also increases the exposure. However, if the car has an antenna, the risk is much reduced. This ensures that there are no radiations reaching the bodies of the user. Therefore, governments have continued advising people of different developments and discoveries on the problem.

Recommendations for Improvement

The main cause of cancer is not yet known to the relevant experts. However, it is a deadly disease. Therefore, anything that can be linked to the disease needs to be addressed with the necessary urgency. Hence, improvement of health care with regards to this disease mainly depends on research. Governments should conduct extensive research on the disease and its relationship with radiations (Rom, 2011). This can be achieved if they give to this particular issue much attention and resources. They should also ensure that there are safety standards that have to be met in the manufacture of mobile phones. This may include guaranteeing that the mobile phones are not made of substandard materials. This can help to reduce the long term casualties of the disease.

Citizens also should play an important role in the growth of public health. They should put the recommendations of the government into action. This can help to reduce risks to the disease. Whenever an individual can do their business without a mobile phone, they should try to do it without it. For example, the office is one place where a person can do their work without a mobile phone. Therefore, individuals should avoid it with utmost seriousness. Exposure of children to the mobile phones should also be reduced. There are some of the recommendations that can reduce the risk of exposure and improve the public health.

Conclusion

There are many threats to public health. However, the essay above shows the specific radiations types that are a major threat to the health of the public. This is because they have been proved to be universal. Technology cannot be prevented from advancing. The only thing that can be done by public health agencies is adapting. As technology advances, together with the exposure to radiations, the technology and strategies in health care should also increase. This can go a long way in ensuring the health of the public.