Water, sanitation and health
WHO works on aspects of water, sanitation and hygiene where the health burden is high, where interventions could make a major difference and where the present state of knowledge is poor. Our work is divided into six core activities:
- Drinking-water quality management
- Water supply and sanitation monitoring
- Cholera surveillance and prevention
- Water and sanitation in different settings
- Water resources management
- Miscellaneous activities (including Economic aspects, Climate change, and the Millenium Development Goals)
Health through a better environment
Environmental hazards are responsible for as much as a quarter of the total burden of disease world-wide, and more than one-third of the burden among children. Heading that list are diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, various forms of unintentional injuries and malaria. The disease burden is much higher in the developing world, although in the case of certain non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers, the per capita disease burden is larger in developed countries. Health impacts of environmental hazards run across more than 80 diseases and types of injury.
Well-targeted interventions can prevent much of this environmental risk.
Worldwide, as many as 13 million deaths could be prevented every year by making our environments healthier.
Japan nuclear concerns
June -- Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has announced that the amount of radiation emitted during the first week of the Fukushima nuclear plant incident is double the initial estimate. At this time, based on the updated information, there are no additional measures recommended beyond earlier actions taken, but the situation is under assessment. Earlier public health actions implemented immediately after the incident (i.e. evacuation, sheltering), as well as the additional protective actions taken later based on the results of the environmental monitoring (relocation of populations in other villages), have been the correct protective measures to protect those populations from radiation exposure. These measures reflect basic principles on protecting populations against radiation.
Occupational health
One of WHO's functions is to promote the improvement of working conditions. The World Health Assembly endorsed the WHO Global Plan (2008-2017) of Action on Workers' Health (GPA). This is a follow up of the WHO Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All.
What's new in WHO regions
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3 February 2012
Extremely cold weather challenges health and social services
Extremely cold weather increases mortality and poses a high health risk to many, particularly children and elderly, homeless or intoxicated people. The health sector needs to prepare for cold spells and winter health problems, to prevent and mitigate the adverse health effects of cold temperatures.
