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SEA/PR/1423
16 June 2006
16 JUNE 2006, GENEVA, NEW
DELHI -- As much as 24% of global disease is
caused by environmental exposures which can be averted. Well-targeted interventions
can prevent much of this environmental risk, the World Health Organization
(WHO) demonstrates in a report issued today. The report further estimates
that more than 33% of disease in children under the age of 5 is caused by
environmental exposures. Preventing environmental risk could save as many as
four million lives a year, mostly in developing countries.
The report, Preventing
disease through healthy environments - towards an estimate of the
environmental burden of disease, is the most comprehensive and systematic
study yet undertaken on how preventable environmental hazards contribute to a
wide range of diseases and injuries. By focusing on the environmental causes
of disease, and how various diseases are influenced by environmental factors,
the analysis breaks new ground in understanding the interactions between
environment and health. The estimate reflects how much death, illness and
disability could be realistically avoided every year as a result of better
environmental management.
"The report issued today is a major contribution to
ongoing efforts to better define the links between environment and
health," said Dr Anders Nordström, Acting WHO
Director-General. "We have always known that the environment influences
health very profoundly, but these estimates are the best to date. This will
help us to demonstrate that wise investment to create a supportive
environment can be a successful strategy in improving health and achieving
development that is sustainable."
The report estimates that more than 13 million deaths
annually are due to preventable environmental causes. Nearly one third of
death and disease in the least developed regions is due to environmental
causes. Over 40% of deaths from malaria and an estimated 94% of deaths from diarrhoeal diseases, two of the world's biggest childhood
killers, could be prevented through better environmental management.
The four main diseases influenced by poor environments are
diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, various
forms of unintentional injuries, and malaria. Measures which could be taken
now to reduce this environmental disease burden include the promotion of safe
household water storage and better hygienic measures; the use of cleaner and
safer fuels; increased safety of the built environment, more judicious use
and management of toxic substances in the home and workplace; better water
resource management.
"For the first time, this new report shows how
specific diseases and injuries are influenced by environmental risks and by
how much," said Dr Maria Neira, Director of
WHO's Department for Public Health and Environment. "It also shows very
clearly the gains that would accrue both to public health and to the general
environment by a series of straightforward, coordinated investments. We call
on ministries of health, environment and other partners to work together to
ensure that these environmental and public health gains become a
reality."
This research, which involved systematic review of
literature as well as surveys of over 100 experts worldwide, identifies
specific diseases impacted by certain well-known environmental hazards -- and
by how much. "It brings together the best evidence available today on
environmental links to health in 85 categories of disease and injury. Since
the research focuses strictly on environmental hazards that are amenable to
change, we can also see where preventive health measures combined with better
environmental management and cleanup can have the biggest impact. In effect,
we now have a 'hit list' for problems we need to tackle most urgently in
terms of health and the environment," noted Dr Neira.
Diseases with the largest total annual health burden from
environmental factors, in terms of death, illness and disability or
Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)1 are:
 Diarrhoea (58 million DALYS per year; 94% of the diarrhoeal burden of disease) largely from unsafe water,
sanitation and hygiene
Lower respiratory infections (37 million DALYs per year; 41% of all cases globally) largely from air
pollution, indoor and outdoor.
Unintentional injuries other than road traffic
injuries (21 million DALYs per year; 44 % of all
cases globally), classification which includes a wide range of industrial and
workplace accidents.
Malaria (19 million DALYs
per year; 42% of all cases globally), largely as a result of poor water
resource, housing and land use management which fails to curb vector
populations effectively.
Road traffic injuries (15 million DALYS per
year; 40% of all cases globally), largely as a result of poor urban design or
poor environmental design of transport systems.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD)
-- a slowly progressing disease characterized by a gradual loss of lung
function. (COPD, 12 million DALYs per year; 42% of
all cases globally) largely as a result of exposures to workplace dusts and
fumes and other forms of indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Perinatal conditions
(11 million DALYS per year; 11% of all cases globally).
Most of the same environmentally-triggered diseases also
rank as the biggest killers outright -- although they rank somewhat
differently in order of lethality. Diseases with the largest absolute number
of deaths annually from modifiable environmental factors (these are all parts
of the environment amenable to change using available technologies, policies,
preventive and public health measure). These diseases include:
2.6
million deaths annually from cardiovascular diseases
1.7
million deaths annually from diarrhoeal
diseases
1.5
million deaths annually from lower respiratory infections
1.4
million deaths annually from cancers
1.3
million deaths annually from chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease
470,000
deaths annually from road traffic crashes
400,000
deaths annually from unintentional injuries
By acting assertively and setting priorities for measures
aimed at curbing the most serious killers, millions of unnecessary deaths can
be prevented every year. Working with sectors such as energy, transport,
agriculture and industry to ameliorate the root environmental causes of ill
health is crucial.
1 DALYs = Disability
Adjusted Life Years: The sum of years of potential life lost due to premature
mortality and the years of productive life lost due to disability.
The report and executive summary - Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments: towards and estimate
of the environmental burden of disease can be found on:
http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/preventingdisease/en/index.html Radio link: http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/prevdisradio/en/index.html
Video link: Message by Dr Maria Neira,
Director, Public Health & Environment http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/previdsvideo/en/index.html
For media
information, journalists may contact:
Nada Osseiran, Advocacy &
Communications Officer, Public Health and Environment, WHO, Geneva, Tel. +4122 - 7914475, Fax: +4122 791 4127. Email: osseirann@who.int.
Gregory Hartl, Communications Advisor, Health and
Sustainable Development, WHO, Mobile tel: (+41 79) 2036715, email: hartlg@who.int. Mrs Harsaran Bir Kaur Pandey,
Phone # 23309401; Mobile # 98-106-95878 Email: pandeyh@searo.who.int. All press releases, fact sheets and other WHO media material may be found at www.who.int.
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