Environmental risk factors account at least 15% of deaths in the WHO European Region. However, inequalities in environmental exposure make vulnerable groups more likely than others to die each year.
WHO has published the first 7 fact sheets on environmental health inequalities relating to housing conditions and access water and sanitation. This is to document and report on the extent of such inequalities.
The fact sheets reveal that single-parent households can be 3x more likely to face heating issues in winter and that the least-well-off population may be at least five times more likely be served by potentially unsafe drinking water sources.
“The compiled evidence shows that in all countries across the WHO European Region, disadvantaged population subgroups can have significantly higher exposure levels to environmental risk factors than advantaged subgroups. This is a truly disturbing finding for all of us in public health,” notes Francesca Racioppi, Head of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health.
Environmental interventions have proven to be effective in preventing many health risks, but they often fail to protect vulnerable populations. This has been evident from the reductions in many environmental health risk over the past few years. These inequalities can be effectively reduced by implementing country-specific strategies and local strategies that target the most vulnerable population subgroups.
“The inequality data presented in the fact sheets call for a stronger consideration of the equity impacts of national regulations, and should be reconfirmed and interpreted using national data and policy frameworks,” explains Sinaia Netanyahu, Programme Manager of Environment and Health Impact Assessment at the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health.
The European Programme of Work 2020–2025 emphasizes the need to develop strategic intelligence on levels and inequalities of health and well-being. These environmental health inequalities fact sheets, which align with this priority, offer opportunities for national policy dialogue on the topic. They include the health and well-being marginalized, underserved, and vulnerable groups.
The WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Inequalities at University of Bremen’s Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Germany, helped to produce the fact sheet series. This series is a continuation of the two European assessment reports on environmental inequalities published in 2012 and 2019.
“Continuous monitoring and assessment of the extent of environmental health inequalities is an important prerequisite to developing adequate policies and interventions and reducing the widening of social gaps within our societies,” states Gabriele Bolte, Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre at the University of Bremen.
The Collaborating Centre has committed that it will update a set of indicator facts sheets annually, ensuring consistent monitoring of environmental health inequalities. It will also support WHO European Region member states with relevant data and intelligence.