Each year, over 1.4mn residents from 53 countries in the World Health Organization's (WHO) European region die from preventable environmental risks.
A ministerial conference on environment and health organised by the WHO is currently taking place in Budapest. On July 7, ministers and representatives from the region will sign a declaration committing to urgent measures aimed at reducing these fatalities.
"Preventing over a million deaths annually from environmental risk factors is a realistic goal. We know what needs to be done, and it is time to move from words to actions. Every person has the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The triple environmental crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss threatens our planet and our very existence. The Budapest Declaration proposes specific measures to improve environmental conditions in which people live, reduce the burden of diseases, address health inequities, relieve the strain on healthcare systems, and strengthen our collective resilience against new pandemics," stated Hans Kluge, Director of the WHO European Regional Office (ERO).
The recently presented report at the conference, titled "A Healthy Environment in the WHO European Region: Why it matters and what we can do to improve health," highlights that environmental risks contribute to a quarter of all non-communicable diseases worldwide, including cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental illnesses.
⚠️Every year, at least 1.4 M people die due to environmental risks in our Region.
☠️569K deaths due to ambient air pollution
☠️269K deaths due to selected chemicals
☠️33.5K deaths due to lack of access to water & sanitation#7MCEH
More here➡️ https://t.co/dbnXzhn7jz pic.twitter.com/aO0sTNFDWy
Experts estimate that in 2019, around 570,000 deaths could be attributed to air pollution, and over 150,000 deaths were linked to indoor air pollution. In 2020, approximately 77mn people lacked access to safe drinking water.
Last year, at least 20,000 people in Europe died from extreme heat.
"I always say that the climate crisis is a health crisis. Currently, it is setting us back or potentially setting us back 50 years of progress in public health. Let me give you one example: two days ago, the highest temperature in human history was recorded worldwide, averaging 17.01 degrees Celsius. In our region, we had the hottest summer last year, and over 20,000 lives were unnecessarily lost," said Hans Kluge, Director of the WHO European Regional Office (ERO).
The Budapest Declaration will be presented for approval at the 73rd session of the WHO European Regional Committee, which will take place in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan, from October 24 to 26, 2023.
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