ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Friday, January 15, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Air Pollution used to illustrate the story

Air Pollution used to illustrate the story

WHO attributes 1.7 million child death to environmental pollution

byAyodamola Owoseye
March 6, 2017
2 min read
ADVERTISEMENT

The World Health Organization has attributed more than one in every four deaths of children under the age of five to unhealthy environments.

Recent health reports released by the agency showed that 1.7 million children under the age of five die every year due to environmental risks such as indoor and outdoor pollution, second-degree smoke, unsafe water, lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene.

The first report revealed that large portion of the most common causes of death among children aged one month to five years are diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia which are preventable by interventions known to reduce environmental risks, such as access to safe water and clean cooking fuels.

The second report, however, linked the top five causes of death in children under five to the environment.

According to the second report, 57,000 children under the age of five die from respiratory infections such as pneumonia, attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollution, and second-hand smoke while 361,000 children under same age group die as a result of diarrhoea, due to poor access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.

“270 thousand children are said to die during their first month of life from conditions, including prematurity, which could be prevented through access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in health facilities as well as reducing air pollution and 200 thousand deaths of children under 5 years from malaria could be prevented through environmental actions, such as reducing breeding sites of mosquitoes or covering drinking-water storage. 200 000 children under 5 years die from unintentional injuries attributable to the environment, such as poisoning, falls, and drowning,” it stated.

Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, said in the statement that a polluted environment is a deadly one, particularly for young children because their developing organs and immune systems, and smaller bodies and airways, make them especially vulnerable to dirty air and water.

She noted that harmful exposures can start in the mother’s womb and increase the risk of premature birth. Additionally, when infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air pollution and second-hand smoke, they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood, and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Exposure to air pollution may also increase their lifelong risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer,” she said.

Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, said there is a need for investing in the removal of environmental risks to health as this will result in massive health benefits and make all places safe for children.

RelatedNews

WHO working with China’s COVID-19 vaccine producers – Official

WHO announces establishment of global Ebola vaccine stockpile

COVID-19: Nigerian Govt to review January 18 resumption date for schools

#PTJobs: Technical Manager, Malaria Prevention At The Management Sciences for Health (MSH)

“We need to reduce air pollution inside and outside households, improving safe water and sanitation and improving hygiene (including in health facilities where women give birth), protecting pregnant women from second-hand tobacco smoke, and building safer environments, can prevent children’s deaths and diseases”, she said.

According to the statement, climate change and high rising level of carbon dioxide have been associated with increased rates of asthma in children.

Air pollution, second-hand tobacco smoke, and indoor mould and dampness make asthma more severe in children.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

Worldwide, 11–14 per cent of children aged five years and older currently report asthma symptoms and an estimated 44 per cent of these are related to environmental exposures.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government. For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour. By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (1)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

North East crisis one of world’s most neglected crises – UN

Next Post

Atiku mourns Onukaba

Ayodamola Owoseye

Ayodamola Owoseye

Ayodamola Owoseye is a senior reporter covering the health beat for PREMIUM TIMES.  She is a graduate of the University of Ibadan, and holds a B.A in Anthropology and M.Sc in Information Science. Ayodamola advocates gender equity and loves travelling and listening to old skool music. Twitter: @damolaowoseye

More News

VIDEO: Tricycle rider, FRSC operatives fight dirty in public

Court jails tricycle rider caught fighting FRSC operatives

January 14, 2021
yellow fever vaccine

One-fifth of yellow fever vaccine very effective – Study

January 14, 2021
Berlin, Germany - November 04: Antonio Guterres, High Commissioner for Refugees of UNHCR, attends a press conference in german foreign office on November 04, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Michael Gottschalk/Photothek via Getty Images)

UN calls for peaceful polls in Uganda

January 13, 2021
FIFA Headquarters [PHOTO CREDIT: ABC]

Asisat Oshoala, Tiwa Savage feature on ‘FIFA Sound’

January 13, 2021
Rioters attack Capitol

Capitol Riot: Siblings call for brother’s expulsion from U.S. Congress

January 13, 2021
The newly elected president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official Facebook page of Mr Akpata]

NBA sets up ‘public interest litigation committee’

January 13, 2021
Next Post
Kogi Governor Bello mourns journalist, Onukaba

Atiku mourns Onukaba

Fayose emerges new Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum

PDP governors were compelled to donate to Obasanjo presidential library – Fayose

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank




Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert

Heritage Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps Address Nationwide
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.