How much disease could be prevented through better management of our environment? The environment influences our health in many ways — through exposures to physical, chemical and biological risk factors, and through related changes in our behaviour in response to those factors. To answer this question, the available scientific evidence was summarized and more than 100 experts were consulted for their estimates of how much environmental risk factors contribute to the disease burden of 85 diseases.
This report summarizes the results globally, by 14 regions worldwide, and separately for children. The evidence shows that environmental risk factors play a role in more than 80% of the diseases regularly reported by the World Health Organization. Globally, nearly one quarter of all deaths and of the total disease burden can be attributed to the environment. In children, however, environmental risk factors can account for slightly more than one-third of the disease burden. These findings have important policy implications, because the environmental risk factors that were studied largely can be modified by established, cost-effective interventions. The interventions promote equity by benefiting everyone in the society, while addressing the needs of those most at risk.
Preventing disease through healthy environments [pdf 8.82Mb]
Arabic [pdf 165kb] | Chinese [pdf 455kb] | French [pdf 2.45Mb] | English [pdf 859kb] | Russian [pdf 522kb] | Spanish [pdf 2.62Mb]
To reduce the size of the files, pages bearing only pictures have not been included.
Table of contents, preface and executive summary [pdf 531kb]
1. Introduction [pdf 401kb]
2. What is the environment in the context of health? [pdf 207kb]
3. What is meant by the "attributable fraction" of a risk factor? [pdf 68kb]
4. Methods [pdf 470kb]
5. Analysis of estimates of the environmental attributable fraction, by disease [pdf 1.15Mb]
6. Global results of the analysis [pdf 404kb]
7. Conclusions [pdf 283kb]
Annex 1: WHO Member States [pdf 309kb]
Annex 2: Global statistics produced by the analysis of the environmental disease burden (Tables A2.1, A2.2 and A.2.3) [pdf 1.64Mb]
Annex 2: Global statistics produced by the analysis of the environmental disease burden (Tables A2.4) [pdf 753kb]
References, acknowlegments, credits [pdf 80kb]
© World Health Organization 2006
ISBN 92 4 159382 2
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Almost a quarter of all disease caused by environmental exposure
Radio interviews
by Dr Maria Neira, Director, Public Health and the Environment Department, WHO, Dr Annette Prüss-Üstün, Scientist, Public Health and the Environment Department, WHO and lead author of the report
Dr Carlos Corvalan, Scientist, Public Health and the Environment Department, WHO and co-author of the report
Health is the key in motivating to solve environmental problems
by Dr Maria Neira, Director, Public Health and Environment Department, WHO
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