FACTSHEET

Number of deaths by risk factor, World, 2017

Total annual number of deaths by risk factor, measured across all age group and both sexes

Air pollution (outdoor & indoor) - 4.9 million

About 5 million deaths in 2017 were directly attributed to air pollution.
Article published in British Journal of Medicine confirms strong association of PM2.5 with Asthma*
The acute exposure to polluted air may cause a significant reduction in the performance of active individuals concludes another research**

Unsafe water source - 1.23 Million

About 1.23 million deaths in 2017 were directly attributed to water pollution
785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water***
Contaminated water can transmit diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485,000 diarrhoeal deaths each year***

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* Holst Gitte J, Pedersen Carsten B, Thygesen Malene, Brandt Jorgen, Geels Camilla, Bonlokke Jakob H et al. Air pollution and family related determinations of asthma onset and persistent wheezing in children: nationwide case-control study BMJ 2020; 370:m2791

** Kargarfard, Mehdi et at al. "Effects of exercise in polluted air on the aerobic power, serum lactate level and cell blood count of active individuals," International journal of preventive medicine vol. 2.3 (2011): 14-50

*** https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water