ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON HEALTH

WHAT IS THE BIG PICTURE?

FACT:

23%
of all global deaths are linked
to the environment.
That’s roughly 12.6 million deaths a year.

WHERE IS IT HAPPENING?
3.8 million
in South-East Asia Region

3.5 million
in Western Pacific Region

2.2 million
in Africa Region

1.4 million
in European Region

854 000
in Eastern Mediterranean Region

847 000
in the Region of the Americas
TOP 10 CAUSES OF
DEATH FROM THE
ENVIRONMENT

STROKE
2.5 million
8.2 million out of ISCHAEMIC
12.6 million deaths caused HEART DISEASE
by the environment are due to 2.3 million
noncommunicable diseases

UNINTENTIONAL
INJURIES
1.7 million

CHRONIC
RESPIRATORY CANCERS
DISEASES 1.7 million
RESPIRATORY 1.4 million
INFECTIONS
567 000
MALARIA
259 000 DIARRHOEAL
DISEASES
846 000
NEONATAL
INTENTIONAL CONDITIONS
INJURIES 270 000
246 000
HOW THE ENVIRONMENT
IMPACTS OUR HEALTH

People are exposed to risk factors in their

homes, work places and communities through:

AIR POLLUTION
including indoors and CLIMATE
outdoors
CHANGE

BUILT
INADEQUATE ENVIRONMENTS
WATER, SANITATION including housing
and hygiene and roads

CHEMICALS AGRICULTURAL
and biological agents PRACTICES
including pesticide-use,
waste-water reuse

RADIATION OCCUPATIONAL
ultraviolet and ionizing COMMUNITY RISKS
NOISE
WHO IS MOST IMPACTED Children under five and
adults between 50 and 75
BY THE ENVIRONMENT years old are most affected
by the environment.

Environmental impacts on health

are uneven across age and mostly
affect the poor.

Low- and middle-income countries bear the

greatest share of environmental disease.

YEARLY

4.9 MILLION
Deaths in adults
between 50 and 75 years. The most
common causes are noncommunicable
diseases and injuries.

1.7 MILLION
Deaths in children
under five. The most prominent causes
are lower respiratory infections and
diarrhoeal diseases.
WE CAN
IMPROVE OUR 1.
Apply low carbon
2.
Use more active
3.
Introduce clean fuels
ENVIRONMENT strategies in energy
generation, housing
and public
transportation.
for cooking, heating
and lighting and

TO IMPROVE and the industry. clean technologies.

OUR HEALTH

4. 5. 6.
Reduce occupational Increase access to Change consumption
exposures and safe water and patterns to lower the
improve working adequate sanitation use of harmful
These WIN-WIN conditions. and promote hand chemicals, minimize
washing. waste production and
strategies are save energy.
fundamental
to achieving the

7. 8. 9.
Implement Pass smoking bans Always use a health
interventions that to reduce exposure in all policies approach
can increase sun to second-hand to create healthier
protective behaviour. tobacco smoke. environments and
prevent disease.