Water & Health
The cost of a polluted environment : 1.7 million child deaths a year , says WHO
News release
Children-papua-new-guinea
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
36 Africa Water , Sanitation & Hygiene • March - April 2017