Almost 600 000 deaths due to air
pollution in Europe: new WHO global report
25-03-2014
Exposure to air pollution accounted for 7
million deaths worldwide in 2012, including almost 600 000 in the WHO European
Region. This is the main finding of a new WHO report (1), released today, on
the burden of disease related to ambient (outdoor) and household (indoor) air
pollution. Specifically, 482 000 deaths are attributable to ambient air
pollution and 117 200 deaths to household air pollution in the WHO European
Region. While deaths from ambient air pollution occur in all European countries
regardless of their income, those from household air pollution are over 5 times
greater in low- and middle-income countries than wealthier ones.
Air pollution – a risk
factor for disease
Air pollution is the largest contributor to
the burden of disease from the environment. Health effects are due to exposure
to small particulate matter (≤10 μm in diameter – PM10), which causes
cardiovascular and respiratory disease, as well as cancer. The new estimates
are based on the latest WHO data on deaths and diseases from air pollution
exposure. They highlight that exposure to air pollution is a more important
risk factor for major noncommunicable diseases (such as ischaemic heart disease
and stroke) than previously thought.
Need to improve air
quality
Science provides convincing arguments for
decisive action to improve air quality and reduce related deaths and diseases
in Europe. Evidence published by WHO/Europe last year (2), as part of the
international project to review evidence on health aspects of air pollution
(REVIHAAP), confirms that outdoor air pollution is an important risk factor for
health.
These findings support the scientific
conclusions of the WHO air quality guidelines and indicate that health effects
can occur at air pollution concentrations lower than the guideline levels.
Further, in October 2013, the International Research Agency on Cancer (IARC), a
specialized agency of WHO, classified air pollution mixture and PM as
carcinogenic to human beings (Group 1).
WHO/Europe’s work on
air pollution
In the 2010 Parma Declaration on
Environment and Health, Member States in the WHO European Region committed
themselves to preventing disease by improving outdoor and indoor air quality.
WHO/Europe continues to work with Member States and in partnership with other
regional actors, notably:
·
the United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE), in the context of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary
Air Pollution and the Transport Health and Environment Pan-European Programme
(THE PEP); and
·
the European Commission in the context of
the revision of its policies on air quality.
The Task Force on the Health Aspects of
Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, co-chaired by WHO/Europe’s European
Centre for Environment and Health, will use the most recent results to
intensify support to Member States that develop their policies independently
from European Union (EU) processes.
