Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments : Towards an Estimate of the Environmental Burden of Disease

This report finds that environmental risk factors play a role in more than 80 per cent of the diseases regularly reported by the World Health Organization.

Globally, nearly one quarter of all deaths and of the total disease burden can be attributed to the environment.

In children, however, environmental risk factors can account for slightly more than one-third of the disease burden.

These findings have important policy implications, because the environmental risk factors that were studied largely can be modified by established, cost-effective interventions.

The interventions promote equity by benefiting everyone in the society, while addressing the needs of those most at risk.