Hyderabad: World Environmental Health Day, celebrated on September 26, is dedicated to raise awareness about the critical connection between human health and environment. It serves as a reminder that the well-being of people is intricately linked to the quality of our surroundings.
This day highlights the importance of proactive measures to safeguard public health by addressing environmental issues such as air and water pollution, hazardous waste management, access to clean and safe food, and climate change. It provides an opportunity for governments, organizations, and communities worldwide to collaborate and promote sustainable practices that can enhance both environmental and human health.
The World Environmental Health Day serves as a call to action, encouraging everyone to take steps toward a healthier, more sustainable planet for current and future generations.
According to the World Health Organisation, "Global environmental issues account for more than 12.6 million deaths each year. As per the data, more than 100 illnesses and injuries can be directly linked to environmental health concerns. Often, these issues have the greatest impact on communities that are poor and already have significant health care vulnerabilities."
History:
World Environmental Health Day was founded by the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) in 2011 to focus on the importance of caring for the health of our environment.
Theme:
Creating Resilient Communities through Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.
Air Pollution Accounted For 8.1 Million Deaths Globally In 2021:
The report, released on June 19, 2024, by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent US-based non-profit research organisation, found air pollution accounted for 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021. Beyond these deaths, many more millions of people are living with debilitating chronic diseases, putting tremendous strains on health care systems, economies and societies.
Deaths Due to Pollution In India:
- Pollution led to more than 2.3 million premature deaths in India in 2019, according to a new Lancet study.
- Nearly 1.6 million deaths were due to air pollution alone, and more than 500,000 were caused by water pollution.
- The latest Lancet Commission on pollution and health report blamed pollution for nine million - or about one in six - deaths globally.
- It said India - where bad air kills more than a million people every year - remained among the worst affected.
- The study found that more than 90 percent of pollution-related deaths occurred in low-income and middle-income countries, with India topping the list with 2.36 million and China at number two with 2.1 million deaths.
- The report says that India has made efforts to control air pollution especially with the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help poor rural women shift to cooking gas, but gaps remain.
464 Children Die In India Every Day: According to "State of Global Air (SoGA) 2024," published by the US-based research organisation Health Effects Institute (HEI), 464 children under the age of five are said to die in India every day as a result of factors associated to air pollution. According to the report, the toll in India in 2021 was 2.1 million, spanning all age categories.
7% Of Deaths In 10 Indian Cities Due To Pollution: According to the Lancet Planetary Health journal, across 10 cities namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla and Varanasi, more than 33,000 deaths could be attributed to air pollution every year on an average.
Top Causes Of Environment-Related Deaths: Looking across more than 100 disease and injury categories, WHO report finds that the vast majority of environment-related deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and ischaemic heart disease:
- Stroke – 2.5 million deaths annually
- Ischaemic heart disease – 2.3 million deaths annually
- Unintentional injuries (such as road traffic deaths) – 1.7 million deaths annually
- Cancers – 1.7 million deaths annually
- Chronic respiratory diseases – 1.4 million deaths annually
- Diarrhoeal diseases – 846 000 deaths annually
- Respiratory infections – 567 000 deaths annually
- Neonatal conditions – 270 000 deaths annually
- Malaria – 259 000 deaths annually
- Intentional injuries (such as suicides) – 246 000 deaths annually
Climate Change Is Impacting Human Lives And Health In A Variety Of Ways:
It threatens the essential ingredients of good health - clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply, and safe shelter - and has the potential to undermine decades of progress in global health.
According to WHO, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone. The direct damage costs to health is estimated to be between USD 2-4 billion per year by 2030.
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