Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
For more than a century, public health practitioners have modified the environment to prevent disease and injury. For example, in the mid-1850s Dr. John Snow removed the pump handle from a contaminated well in London to stop a deadly cholera outbreak. Modern environmental modifications, such as seat belts and airbags in vehicles, have saved countless lives. Other environmental modifications, such as sidewalks and community parks, have increased physical activity while helping to reduce obesity.
