Formación de recursos humanos en Salud Ambiental en México con visión global y profundidad local para enfrentar los retos actuales.

Mexico and the Latin American region face enormous challenges related to environmental degradation and pollution and their impact on human health and ecosystems. It is therefore necessary to train professionals so that they have a multidisciplinary vision. Since 1990 the Mexican National Institute of Public Health has been gaining experience in the teaching of environmental health— initially according to an epidemiological approach and gradually including more integrative perspectives. On the other hand, the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi has been training professionals with a strong focus on environmental science since 2002 as part of its multidisciplinary Environmental Science postgraduate program. Both institutions are leaders in the study of environmental health and have generated scientific information on various mining, agricultural, metropolitan and indigenous issues, among others. There is no question that significant progress has been made in the training of environmental health professionals but much remains to be done to achieve the wellbeing of communities and ecosystems and to consolidate a comprehensive environmental public health system. Mechanisms must therefore be developed to translate scientific evidence into public policies that have a positive impact on environmental health.