WHO: Preventing disease through healthy environments

[0:04]Wherever you live, your health is impacted by the environment. Around the world, more than 50 million people die every year from disease, and nearly one quarter of those deaths are directly caused by environmental factors. Can you imagine that's 1,400 deaths every hour of every day from an unhealthy environment. The hardest hit are those in low and middle income countries, especially in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, and the young and old are most severely affected. More than half the world live in urban areas and can face heavy traffic, air pollution, poor housing and limited access to clean water and sanitation. Many work in the informal sector under dangerous, dirty and demeaning conditions. We all face the impact of chemicals and poisons, radiation, and poor farming practices. And climate change means a very uncertain future. So now we are at a crossroads. Things can continue getting worse, or we can work together to improve our world. Simple measures can be taken immediately to protect our health and the environment. We can reduce our consumption and clean our air by using sustainable fuels and walking or cycling more. We can safely store toxic substances in our homes and workplaces. We can protect our water resources by disposing of waste appropriately and introduce clean energy technologies. We can bring multiple government sectors together to ensure all policies actively support health. Let us all work together to improve our health and well-being.