UN agencies ink partnership to combat environmental health risks

NAIROBI, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The UN Environment and World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday signed a collaboration agreement to curb environmental health risks that cause an estimated 12.6 million deaths a year.

Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment, and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, signed the agreement in Nairobi to step up joint actions to combat air pollution, climate change and antimicrobial resistance, and to improve coordination on waste and chemicals management, water quality, food and nutrition.

"Our health is directly related to the health of the environment we live in. Together, air, water and chemical hazards kill more than 12.6 million people a year. This must not continue," Ghebreyesus said in a joint statement.

He said most of these deaths occur in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America where pollution takes biggest health toll.

The collaboration also includes joint management of the BreatheLife advocacy campaign to reduce air pollution.

This, the UN health agency said, represents the most significant formal agreement on joint action across the spectrum of environment and health issues in over 15 years.

"There is an urgent need for our two agencies to work more closely together to address the critical threats to environmental sustainability and climate, which are the foundations for life on this planet," said Solheim. Enditem