Exposure to unhealthy environment claimed at least 2138 lives in 2012 in the country according to the latest report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday.

As per the second edition of the report titled "Preventing disease through healthy environments: a global assessment of burden of disease from environmental risks" the deaths were attributed to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) work related injuries and as well as to infectious diseases nutritional deficiencies parasitical infections and neonatal deaths.

World Health Organisation lauds Sharjah

World Health Organisation (WHO) has also cited Sharjah as an exemplary city that has taken measures to improve the health care system and social welfare infrastructure. "For example the Emirate of Sharjah in the UAE took measures to improve the health care system and social welfare infrastructure" said Dr Ala Alwan WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. " Sharjah reached approximately zero-waste to landfill by diverting 100 per cent of its waste through recycling and conversion." At the World Health Assembly in May WHO will propose a road map for an enhanced global response by the health sector aimed at reducing the adverse health effects of air pollution.

The first such report was published a decade ago and deaths have also been linked primarily to air pollution and chemical exposures. According to the latest report the highest number of deaths (1303) was due to NCDs followed by 753 due to injuries in the UAE. Regionally a total of 854000 people died due to living or working in an unhealthy environment - nearly one in five of total deaths in this region the report adds.

"Over one fifth of the burden of communicable diseases non-communicable diseases and injuries in our region is attributable to environmental risks that can be modified" said Dr Ala Alwan WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Accordingly NCDs such as stroke heart disease cancers and chronic respiratory disease now amount to more than half of the total deaths caused by unhealthy environments. At the same time deaths from infectious diseases such as diarrhoea and malaria often related to poor water sanitation and waste management have declined.

The WHO has developed a regional strategy on health and environment including improving indoor and outdoor air pollution. Also under the Healthy Cities initiative WHO encourages local governments to incorporate health issues into all aspects of public policy he said. The WHO report finds that environmental risks take their greatest tool on young children and older people with children under five and adults aged 50 to 75 years the most impacted.

Lower respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases mostly impact children under five while noncommunicable diseases and injuries impact older adults. Looking across more than 100 disease and injury categories the report finds that the vast majority of environmentally-related deaths are estimated to be due to cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and ischaemic heart disease.

Asma Ali Zain Associated with KT for 15 years. Covers health issues Pakistan community human interest stories as well as general topics for daily news or features.