Business Daily
Date: 20.06.2014
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Pollution leading cause of death in developing world
Pollution, not disease, is the biggest kill­
Fuller said.
er in the developing world, taking the
pollution is often mis­
lives of more than 8.4 million people
told IPS.
These chemicals don't stay put. Rain
represented as a washes them into soils and waterways,
minor issue, when and wind blows toxic particles long dis­
it actually needs tances, sometimes coating crops and
each year, anew analysis shows. That's
almost three times the deaths caused
by malaria and fourteen times those
serious action now,
caused by HIV/Aids. However, pollu­
he said.
tion receives a fraction of the interest
The GAHP anal­ ed that mining waste, lead smelters,
ysis integrates new industrial dumps and other toxic sites
data from the World affect the health of 125 million people
from the global community.
"Toxic sites along with air and
food, Caravanos said.
A2012 study by Blacksmith estimat­
in 49 developing countries.
water pollution impose a tremen­
Health Organisation
dous burden on the health sys­
(WHO) and others
"We have identified over 200 places
to determine that
with contaminated air, soil or water
said Richard Fuller, president of
7.4 million deaths
that are putting at risk some six mil­
the Pure Earth/Blacksmith Insti­
were due to pollu­ lion people," said John Pwamang of
tems of developing countries,"
tute, which prepared the analysis
as part of The Global Alliance on
Health and Pollution (GAHP).
tion sources from
the Ghana Environment Protection
air, water, sanitation and hygiene. An Agency.
additional one million deaths were due
"These include places with lead poi­
GAHP is a collaborative body
to toxic chemical and industrial wastes
soning from recycling used lead­acid or
of bilateral, multilateral, and in­
flowing into air, water, soil and food,
car batteries, and e­waste dismantling
ternational agencies, national
from small and medium­sized produc­
areas, where cables are burnt in the
governments, academia and
ers in poor countries.
civil society.
The health burden of environmen­
Air and chemical pollution is grow­
open air and the toxic smoke poisons
whole neighborhoods," Pwamang said
tal pollution in these countries is on in a release.
ing rapidly in these regions and when
top of health impacts from infectious
A growing body of scientific evi­
the total impact on the health of people
diseases, and smoking, said Jack Car­
dence is revealing an astonishing ar­
is also considered, "the consequences
avanos, professor of Environmental ray of illness including cancers, heart
Health at the City University of New disease, diabetes, obesity, ADHD,
are dire", Fuller told IPS.
York and a technical advisor to the
autism, Alzheimer's and depression,
most developed countries have largely
Blacksmith Institute.
with links to the ever­increasing
solved their pollution problems. The
rest of the world needs assistance, but
It's extremely difficult to estimate
the health impacts from many thou­
pollution has dropped off the radar in
sands of toxic sites contaminated with
This future is entirely preventable as
the current draft of the sustainable de­
velopment goals (SDGs), he said.
The SDGs are the UN's new plan for
Pollution is
sometimes called
amount of toxic chemicals in our bod­
ies, said Julian Cribb, author of the new
book "Poisoned Planet: how constant
exposure to man­made chemicals is
putting your life at risk".
"There are at least 143,000 man­
development assistance for the next
the invisible
15 years. Countries, aid agencies and
killer....its impact
number of unintentional chemicals
is difficult to
liberated by mining, burning fossil
international donors are expected to
align their funding and aid with these
goals when they are announced in Sep­
track.
made chemicals plus an equally vast
fuels, waste disposal," Cribb said in
a release.
RICHARD FULLER
tember 2015.
BLACKSMITH INSTITUTE
"Pollution is sometimes called the
invisible killer.. .its impact is difficult to
track because health statistics measure
lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium
and obsolete pesticides, Caravanos
GAHP members worldwide have
come together to urge the UN to spot­
light pollution in the SDGs (see the list
of supporters).
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya
Business Daily
Date: 20.06.2014
Page 17
Article size: 412 cm2
ColumnCM: 91.55
AVE: 173955.55
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya