Health Consequences of Environmental Exposures: Changing Global Patterns of Exposure and Disease.
Environmental pollution is a major cause of disease and death. Exposures in early life are especially dangerous. Patterns of exposure vary greatly across countries. In low-income and lower middle income countries (LMICs), infectious, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases are still major contributors to disease burden. By contrast, in upper middle income and high-income countries noncommunicable diseases predominate. To examine patterns of environmental exposure and disease and to relate these patterns to levels of income and development, we obtained publically available data in 12 countries at different levels of development through a global network of World Health Organization Collaborating Centres in Children's Environmental Health. Pollution exposures in early life contribute to both patterns. Chemical and pesticide pollution are increasing, especially in LMICs. Hazardous wastes, including electronic waste, are accumulating. Pollution-related chronic diseases are becoming epidemic. Future Global Burden of Disease estimates must pay increased attention to the short- and long-term consequences of environmental pollution.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
Philip J
PJ
Landrigan
Children's Health and Environment Program, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
J Leith
JL
Sly
Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand.
Mathuros
M
Ruchirawat
University of Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
Emerson R
ER
Silva
Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
Xia
X
Huo
Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
Fernando
F
Diaz-Barriga
MRC Unit on Child & Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Heather J
HJ
Zar
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Malcolm
M
King
Ewah Womans University, Seoul, Republic of South Korea.
Eun-Hee
EH
Ha
CSIR Water Research Institute, Accra, Ghana.
Kwadwo Ansong
KA
Asante
Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran.
Hamid
H
Ahanchian
Children's Health and Environment Program, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: p.sly@uq.edu.au.
Peter D
PD
Sly
D003141:Communicable Diseases; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004782:Environmental Health; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D014944:World Health Organization
children; low and middle income countries; non-communicable disease; pollution; publich health