WHO: One-Quarter of All Diseases is Caused by Environmental Exposure

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WHO Report Asserts That One-Quarter of All Diseases is

Caused by Environmental Exposure

Posted on: 06/26/2006

GENEVA -- As much as 24 percent 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 percent of disease in children under

the age of 5 is caused by environmental exposures. Preventing

environmental risk could save as many as 4 million lives a year in

children alone, mostly in developing countries.

The report, “Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments: Toward 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

percent of deaths from malaria and an estimated 94 percent of deaths from

diarrheal 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 diarrhea,

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. 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 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:

-- Diarrhea (58 million DALYS per year; 94 percent of the diarrheal

burden of disease) largely from unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene

-- Lower respiratory infections (37 million DALYs per year; 41 percent of

all cases globally) largely from air pollution, indoor and outdoor.

-- Unintentional injuries other than road traffic injuries (21 million

DALYs per year; 44 percent of all cases globally), classification which

includes a wide range of industrial and workplace accidents.

-- Malaria (19 million DALYs per year; 42 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 diarrheal 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

The report shows that one way or another, the environment significantly

affects more than 80 percent of these major diseases. Moreover, it looks

to quantify only those environmental hazards that are modifiable -- that

is, those that are readily amenable to change through policies or

technologies that already exist. The report also spells out us how much

environment-related disease is preventable.

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.

Source: WHO