Philippines & Pollution Health Impact, Economic Impact, Injustice, and Solutions The Lancet Commission on pollution and health Pollution in the air, water provides data related to the health and economic costs of pollution for 190 countries. It also gives and soil was responsible specifics on the inequity of pollution’s impact, and for 16.4% of all deaths provides an overview of solutions implemented or possible to reduce the burden of pollution. in the Philippines. The Commission’s lead authors have prepared this brief summary of pollution’s impact specifically in Average % of Deaths from Pollution the Philippines. High-Income Countries 7.3% Health Impact Upper-Middle-Income Countries 10.3% In 2015, the report indicates that 91,500 people in the Philippines died from pollution-related disease. Lower-Middle-Income Countries 14.7% That is close to four times more than deaths from Low-Income Countries 19.2% HIV, TB and malaria combined. Causes of Death — Philippines 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 - Lead Occupational Water, Total Air Total Diet High in Road Conflict and HIV/TB/ Alcohol & Tobacco Use Pollution Sanitation & Pollution Sodium Accidents Violence Malaria Drug Use Hygiene Source | The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, October 2017 WWW.GAHP.NET FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT [email protected] TEL. +1 212 870 3490 Economic Impact A valuable strategy recommended at the national and state level, the Health and Pollution Planning The economic cost of pollution to the Philippines is process involves multiple national or state calculated in two ways: government agencies (environment, health, industry, transport, finance, etc) meeting to • The costs of lost productivity from pollution- identify, evaluate and prioritize pollution issues related diseases are estimated to be between based on health impacts. Existing programs are 0.34% and 0.44% of gross domestic product (GDP). reviewed, priorities for further action decided, and concrete interventions designed. The process is • When the willingness-to-pay method is used to driven by national governments, with support and estimate the amount that people would be willing facilitation by GAHP members. For more information to pay to avoid premature death due to pollution- contact [email protected]. related disease, the total is estimated to be US$ 23.3 billion, which is approximately 6.5% of the Filipinos can also make use of www.pollution.org to country’s economic output. review specific pollution data related to air, water and soil in their own neighborhoods, and post new Environmental Injustice data for pollution issues that deserve recognition Pollution disproportionately kills the poor and by the international community. the vulnerable. Nearly 92% of pollution-related deaths occur in low-income and middle-income The Global Alliance on Health + Pollution countries and, in countries at every income level, (GAHP) disease caused by pollution is most prevalent GAHP was formed in 2012 in response to the among minorities and the marginalised. Children growing crises posed by toxic pollution. With more are at high risk of pollution-related disease and than 50 members from multilateral development even extremely low-dose exposures to pollutants banks, bilateral donors, UN agencies, low- and during windows of vulnerability in utero and in early middle-income country government agencies, and infancy can result in disease, disability, and death others, GAHP aims to provide low-and middle- in childhood and across their lifespan. income countries with the tools to tackle toxic pollution and alleviate its impacts on human health. Pollution Solutions These few observations are not intended to be GAHP has served as a coordination mechanism comprehensive. Sanitation efforts has proved for defining highly polluted sites globally, for successful, although parts of metro Manila remain advocacy related to the SDGs and inclusion therein problematic. Mercury and other contaminants from of all aspects of pollution, and most recently for mining, especially lead can be found in specific the Lancet Commission on pollution and health. industrial and mining sites across the archipelago. GAHP’s secretariat is Pure Earth, an NGO based in The Marilao river basin and other sites are a risk New York, with operations in 40 countries globally. to fish farming and food production. Air quality in Manila needs substantive programs, as jitneys and other sources of diesel fumes pose serious health risks. A health and pollution action plan is in the planning stage. WWW.GAHP.NET FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT [email protected] TEL. +1 212 870 3490.