The Global Health Observatory

Explore a world of health data

Table
Indicator name:
Mortality and burden of disease attributable to the environment
Short name:
MBD ENV
Data type:
Rate
Indicator Id:
2393
Topic:
Mortality and burden of disease
Risk factors
Rationale:
In 2006, WHO released a report entitled  "Preventing disease through healthy  environments: towards an estimate of the global  burden of disease", estimating how  much of  global disease could be prevented by  modifying the environment . This work built on  previous efforts that WHO has undertaken to estimate the global estimates of  burden of disease caused by 26 risk factors,  published in the World Health Report 2002, and involved a systematic review of  literature as well as surveys of over 100 experts  worldwide. The report gives, for 85 out of the 102  major  diseases and injuries classified by WHO,  the fraction of disease that can be attributed to the environment and that could be prevented. These  environmental contributions are sometimes  available by regions, by economic status (high/low  income countries), by age group or by  gender, depending on the available data and the  domain of expertise of the experts.
Definition:
The burden of disease attributable to the environment can be expressed as : Number of deaths Death rate Number of DALYs DALYs rate Percentage of total deaths attributable to the environment Percentage of total DALYs attributable to the environment Disability -Adusted Life Years (or DALYs)  are a summary measure of population health that combine (i) the years of life lost as a result of premature death and (ii) the years lived  with a disease. Death and DALY rates are calculated by dividing the number of deaths, resp. DALYs, by the total population (or indicated if not, e.g. if a specific population group such as children under 5 years, is used). The percentages of deaths, resp. DALYs, attributable to the environment are obtained by dividing the number of attributable deaths, resp. DALYs, by the total number of deaths, resp. DALYs- As for the defnition of the modifiable environment, it inlcudes: • Air, soil & water pollution with chemicals or biological agents • Ultraviolet and ionizing radiation • Built environment • Noise, electromagnetic fields • Occupational risks • Agricultural methods, irrigation schemes • Anthropogenic climate changes, ecosystem degradation • Individual behaviors related to the environment,  such as hand-washing, food contamination with  unsafe water or dirty hands.
Disaggregation:
Age : <5
M&E Framework:
Impact
Method of estimation:
For 85 out of the 102  major  diseases and injuries classified by WHO, a fraction of disease that can be attributed to the environment and that could be prevented can be estimated. The figures presented here are the sum of all the attributable deaths and attributable DALYs. These absolute number and rates of deaths and DALYs,as well percentage of the national burden of disease attributable to the environment  – represent the  disease burden that could be avoided by  modifying the environment. They are  based on WHO estimates of national health data and on regional attributable fractions estimated by  literature review/expert survey.
Method of estimation of global and regional aggregates:
For deaths and DALYs, national figures are summed. For death and DALY rates, the country deaths, resp. DALYs, are summed according to the region of interest, and divided by the corresponding regional population.
Preferred data sources:
Civil registration with complete coverage and medical certification of cause of death
Special studies
Expert opinion
Contact person email:
bonjours@who.int
Name:
Sophie Bonjour
Indicator Metadata Registry List
If you have any feedback, you are welcome to write it here.
If you need to access the old Global Health Observatory data, you can do it here. But before you leave, please provide us your feedback about our new data portal.