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Environmental decline killing poor first
ALMOST a fifth of all ill health in
poor countries and millions of deaths can be attributed to
environmental factors, including climate change and pollution,
according to a report from the World Bank.
By John Vidal, London
October 7, 2005
Unclean water, poor sanitation and hygiene as well as indoor and
outdoor air pollution are all said to be killing people and
preventing economic development. In addition, the bank says
increasing soil pollution, pesticides, hazardous waste and
chemicals in food are significantly affecting health and
economies.
More controversially, the report, released on Wednesday in New
York, links cancers to environmental conditions and says global
warming has a major impact on health.
"For almost all forms of cancer, the risk of contracting this
disease can be reduced if physical environments are safe for
human habitation and food items are safe for consumption," says
the report.
It also cites the spread of malaria and dengue fever as climate
change intensifies, while global warming is leading to lower
yields of some crops and the salination of coastal areas.
"In 2000, more than 150,000 premature deaths were attributed to
various climate change impacts, according to the World Health
Organisation," it says.
While tobacco, alcohol and unsafe sex are still the most likely
threats to health in developing countries, rapid urbanisation
and the spread of slum conditions are now major hazards.
"Some 1.1 billion people lack access to safe water and 2.6
billion lack access to safe sanitation. (This leads to) about 4
billion cases of diarrhoea a year, which cause 1.8 million
deaths a year, mostly among children under five," it says.
Sanitation, says the bank, which is committed to increasing
spending on the environment, is very much "a forgotten problem",
with spending on improvements estimated at just $US1 billion
($A1.3 billion) in 2000 — less than 10 per cent of that spent on
water.
Urban air pollution is estimated to cause about 800,000
premature deaths, it says, approaching the number of people
affected by indoor air pollution from wood fires in poorly
ventilated homes in rural areas.
According to the report, which uses WHO statistics, high
concentrations of minute particles released by smoky fires are
now responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths a year.
Acute respiratory infection, largely caused by indoor air
pollution, it says, was responsible for 36 per cent of all
registered infant deaths in Guatemala between 1997 and 2000.
The report also says man-made chemicals such as pesticides have
an increasing impact on the health of poor people.
A survey of child labour in several developing countries found
more than 60 per cent of all working children were exposed to
hazardous conditions and more than 25 per cent of these hazards
were due to exposure to chemicals.
"Without a healthy, productive labour force, we will not have
the economic growth that is necessary to ensure a pathway out of
poverty. Poor people are the first to suffer from a polluted
environment," said Warren Evans, director of the bank's
environment department.
GUARDIAN
Progression from environmental exposure to illness
Source: NCI
There are five basic steps progressing from exposure to a toxic substance through development of detectable disease.
Exposure. An individual is exposed to a chemical, biologic or physical agent that is potentially toxic or carcinogenic. The individual may or may not have knowledge of the presence of the substance.
Entry. The substance enters the body carried by air, water, food or soil.
Accumulation. Over time enough of the toxin or carcinogen enters the body and accumulates until the quantity is high enough to cause some type of health effect.
Early changes. The toxin or carcinogen alters some part of the body, often on a microscopic level. A group of cells affected by the toxin may now look or act differently. The person exposed may not have symptoms of disease or any detectable abnormality on routine medical testing at this time.
Detectable disease. The person who has been exposed to the toxin now has developed an actual disease that is detectable by symptoms and/or medical testing.
Moving from one stage to the next depends on a number of factors including a person’s genetic or inherited tendency to develop a disease, diet, physical activity, personal habits such as smoking, use of certain medications, and exposure to other environmental toxins at the same time. Disease can occur immediately, several hours, or many years after exposure. For instance, an individual may develop cancer several decades after an environmental exposure.
