This position note was published in September 2019 to coincide with the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Health is a human right. Without health, there can be no sustainable development. And human beings enjoy health and well-being if they rely on a safe, clean, and healthy environment. Promoting equitable, affordable, secure access to healthcare or universal health coverage is key to build a healthier world. Today, at least half of the world does not have access to essential health service. With climate-related shocks—such as heat waves, extreme weather events and diseases—becoming more intense and more frequent, people’s health is increasingly at risk. We urgently need to accelerate investments to achieve health coverage for all and prioritize action that brings multiple benefits for the planet and people’s health.
Global, regional and local environmental challenges such as air, water and soil pollution, exposure to harmful chemicals and waste, climate change and biodiversity loss are affecting human health and well-being. They are also impacting healthcare costs, and disproportionately affecting children, women and the most vulnerable. According to global estimates, 23 per cent of all deaths worldwide are due to environmental risks. In particular, pollution has been identified as a key risk factor contributing to premature deaths from non-communicable diseases, which now account for 7 in 10 deaths globally.
The UN Environment Programme and health
To succeed in building a healthier world for all we need to invest in a safer, cleaner and healthier environment. We need to invest in policies and actions that reduce adverse environmental impacts and promote healthy ecosystems, so we can take full advantage of nature’s health benefits.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) works with governments to protect the planet’s natural resources and to put in place measures to achieve a pollution-free planet.
- by working with governments to draft policies and enforce bans and restrictions on harmful substances such as mercury, lead, ozone-depleting gases and other chemicals
- by raising awareness and promoting action against pollution and waste through campaigns such as Beat Pollution, Clean Seas and Breathe Life
- by promoting technological solutions to chemical and waste management, access to green technologies, nature-based solutions and a path towards a circularity
Way forward
Mere improvements of current actions will not be sufficient to build a healthy planet. We need to profoundly transform the way we produce, consume and value—both spiritually and economically—our natural environment. To speed up this transformation and maximize time and resources, UNEP favours actions that have multiple benefits—such as promoting hybrid or electric vehicles. Comprehensive action on climate change also contributes to reducing air pollution and building more resilient communities.
Related links
- Preventing Disease through Healthy Environments: A Global Assessment of the Burden of Disease from Environmental Risks
- Global Chemicals Outlook 2
- Global Environment Outlook 6
- The UN Environment Programme and the climate emergency
- Clean Seas
- Breathe Life
For more information contact: Cristina Zucca
