NEW YORK — In the world today there are over 600 million children under 5 years old. They represent the best hopes for the planet, yet more than 5 million of them die every year as a result of environment-related diseases. Their deaths could be prevented by using low-cost and sustainable tools and strategies for improving the environment.
This is one of the main conclusions of a recent World Health Organization study, the first ever country-by-country analysis of the impact of environmental factors on health. The collected data show that 13 million deaths worldwide could be prevented by improving the environment. In some countries, more than one-third of the disease burden could be prevented by environmental changes.
Information collected in this study is crucial to letting countries select appropriate intervention methods. According to the WHO study, in 23 countries, more than 10 percent of deaths are due to: unsafe water (including poor sanitation and hygiene) and indoor air pollution such as from solid fuel used for cooking.