12.6m die yearly due to unhealthy environments

Some 12.6m people across the globe die every year due to unhealthy environments, according to a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report.

Almost one in four of all deaths are due to living or working in unhealthy conditions, accounting for at least 1.4m deaths every year in Europe, the study’s authors estimated.

The WHO said environmental risk factors, such as air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposure, climate change and too much sun contributed to more than 100 diseases and injuries.