The World Health Organisation (WHO), has said that the number of people estimated to have died as a result of living or working in an unhealthy environment is now 12.6 million.
Dr Edwin-Isotu Edeh, WHO National
Consultant, Public Health and Environment, said this at the 6th annual
conference of the Association of Nigeria of Health Journalists (ANHEJ) in
Akwanga.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that the three-day conference, which began on Friday, was organised by ANHEJ in
collaboration with the WHO.
The theme of the conference is “Health
Security UHC and National Health: How can Nigeria get it right- The Role of the
Media in Perspective”, with the sub-theme “FP 2030 targets: Is Nigeria on
Track?”.
Edeh said that the number represented one
in four of all deaths globally.
According to him, this underscores the
devastating impact of the chemicals and waste that pollutes the air, water and
earth since the end of World War II.
He said the deaths were due to
non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which included heart disease, cancer and were
related to exposure to pollution which now made up 8.2 million or nearly two-thirds
of the total deaths.
He said; “deaths from infectious diseases
such as malaria and diarrhea due to unsafe water and lack of sanitation
represent one-third and are on the decline.
“Low- and middle-income countries seem to
bear the greatest burden of environment-related diseases and injuries.
“These include NCDs like cardiovascular
diseases and cancers, while the highest number of deaths per capita
attributable to the environment occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, primarily from
infectious diseases,” Edeh said.
According to him, protecting and creating
healthy environments is a critical component of the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
“Environmental health can be addressed by
improving environmental quality for the poorest populations with the greatest
burden of environmental diseases by reducing exposures to air pollution in
homes and villages from biomass burning, and providing clean water and
sanitation.
“Others are identifying efforts to address
environmental problems that can also provide health benefits.
“We recognise that some policies, practices
and technologies designed to promote sustainability and economic development
may have unintended adverse environmental health effects, and attempting to
prevent or mitigate these before they are implemented,” he said. (NAN)