Nel mondo 1,7 milioni di morti l'anno è
attribuibile a cause ambientali, dall'inquinamento all'igiene
inadeguata. Lo afferma l'Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità (Oms). La
stima è contenuta in due rapporti.
Nel primo l'Oms afferma che buona parte dei decessi per polmonite,
diarrea e malaria, le cause principali di morte sotto i cinque anni,
sono prevenibili con interventi sull'ambiente, dall'accesso all'acqua
pulita a quello a combustibili non tossici per cucinare. Il secondo
fornisce dati dettagliati sulle cause di morte.
Al primo posto,
con 570mila vittime, ci sono le infezioni respiratorie causate
dall'inquinamento indoor e outdoor e dal fumo passivo. La diarrea,
prevenibile con migliori condizioni igieniche, fa 361mila vittime
all'anno. Altre 200mila sono dovute alla malaria, che puó essere
prevenuta con interventi sull'ambiente. "Un ambiente inquinato è letale -
afferma Margaret Chan, direttore generale dell'Oms - specialmente per i
bambini".
(Fonte: ANSA)
CLICCA QUA E QUA PER SCARICARE IL MATERIALE OMS.
The cost of a polluted environment: 1.7 million child deaths a year, says WHO
6 March 2017 | GENEVA -
More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are
attributable to unhealthy environments. Every year, environmental risks –
such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, second-hand smoke, unsafe
water, lack of sanitation, and inadequate hygiene – take the lives of
1.7 million children under 5 years, say two new WHO reports.
The first report, Inheriting a Sustainable World: Atlas on Children’s Health and the Environment
reveals that a large portion of the most common causes of death among
children aged 1 month to 5 years – diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia –
are preventable by interventions known to reduce environmental risks,
such as access to safe water and clean cooking fuels.
"A polluted environment is a deadly one – particularly for
young children," says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. "Their
developing organs and immune systems, and smaller bodies and airways,
make them especially vulnerable to dirty air and water."
Harmful exposures can start in the mother’s womb and increase
the risk of premature birth. Additionally, when infants and
pre-schoolers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air pollution and
second-hand smoke they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood,
and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases, such as
asthma. Exposure to air pollution may also increase their lifelong risk
of heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Top 5 causes of death in children under 5 years linked to the environment
A companion report, Don't pollute my future! The impact of the environment on children's health,
provides a comprehensive overview of the environment’s impact on
children’s health, illustrating the scale of the challenge. Every year:
- 570 000 children under 5 years die from respiratory infections,
such as pneumonia, attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollution, and
second-hand smoke.
- 361 000 children under 5 years die due to diarrhoea, as a result of poor access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.
- 270 000 children die during their first month of life from
conditions, including prematurity, which could be prevented through
access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in health facilities as
well as reducing air pollution.
- 200 000 deaths of children under 5 years from malaria could be
prevented through environmental actions, such as reducing breeding sites
of mosquitoes or covering drinking-water storage.
- 200 000 children under 5 years die from unintentional injuries
attributable to the environment, such as poisoning, falls, and drowning.
Ongoing and emerging environmental threats to children’s health
"A polluted environment results in a heavy toll on the health
of our children," says Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of
Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.
"Investing in the removal of environmental risks to health, such as
improving water quality or using cleaner fuels, will result in massive
health benefits."
For example, emerging environmental hazards, such as
electronic and electrical waste (such as old mobile phones) that is
improperly recycled, expose children to toxins which can lead to reduced
intelligence, attention deficits, lung damage, and cancer. The
generation of electronic and electrical waste is forecasted to increase
by 19% between 2014 and 2018, to 50 million metric tonnes by 2018.
With climate change, temperatures and levels of carbon dioxide
are rising, favouring pollen growth which is associated with increased
rates of asthma in children. Worldwide, 11–14% of children aged 5 years
and older currently report asthma symptoms and an estimated 44% of these
are related to environmental exposures. Air pollution, second-hand
tobacco smoke, and indoor mould and dampness make asthma more severe in
children.
In households without access to basic services, such as safe
water and sanitation, or that are smoky due to the use of unclean fuels,
such as coal or dung for cooking and heating, children are at an
increased risk of diarrhoea and pneumonia.
Children are also exposed to harmful chemicals through food,
water, air and products around them. Chemicals, such as fluoride, lead
and mercury pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, and others in
manufactured goods, eventually find their way into the food chain. And,
while leaded petrol has been phased out almost entirely in all
countries, lead is still widespread in paints, affecting brain
development.
Making all places safe for children
Reducing air pollution inside and outside households,
improving safe water and sanitation and improving hygiene (including in
health facilities where women give birth), protecting pregnant women
from second-hand tobacco smoke, and building safer environments, can
prevent children’s deaths and diseases.
For example, multiple government sectors can work together to improve the following:
- Housing: Ensure clean fuel for heating and cooking, no mould or pests, and remove unsafe building materials and lead paint.
- Schools: Provide safe sanitation and hygiene, free of noise, pollution, and promote good nutrition.
- Health facilities: Ensure safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and reliable electricity.
- Urban planning: Create more green spaces, safe walking and cycling paths.
- Transport: Reduce emissions and increase public transport.
- Agriculture: Reduce the use of hazardous pesticides and no child labour.
- Industry: Manage hazardous waste and reduce the use of harmful chemicals.
- Health sector: Monitor health outcomes and educate about environmental health effects and prevention.
Under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) countries are
working on a set of targets to guide interventions for children’s
environmental health, as well as to end preventable deaths of newborns
and children under five by 2030. In addition to SDG 3, which aims to
ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, other SDGs work to
improve water, sanitation and hygiene, transition to clean energy to
reduce air pollution, and reverse climate change – all of which will
have an impact on children’s health.
Media contacts
Nada Osseiran
WHO Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health
Mobile: +41 79 445 1624
Office: +41 22 791 4475
Email:
osseirann@who.int
Kimberly Chriscaden
WHO Department of Communications
Mobile: +41 79 603 1891
Office: +41 22 791 2885
Email:
chriscadenk@who.int
