Italian Institute for Environmental
Protection and Research

Search

Facing the pollution and climate change in Europe to improve health and and well-being

The European Agency publish the report "Healthy environment, healthy lives: how the environment influences health and well-being in Europe"


In 2012, 13 % of all deaths in the EU were attributable to the environment. These deaths are preventable and can be significantly reduced through efforts to improve environmental quality. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a stark example of the inextricable links between human health and ecosystem health. Other factors, such as exposure to air pollution and social status, seem to affect transmission and mortality rates in ways that are not yet fully understood.

A significant percentage of the disease burden in Europe continues to be attributed to environmental pollution from human activity. According to the EEA report "Healthy environment, healthy lives: how the environment influences health and well-being in Europe" which draws heavily on World Health Organization data on the causes of death and disease, the quality of the European environment plays a key role in determining our health and well-being

Many of the issues addressed in the EEA Report concern SNPA activities to prevent the protection of health from environmental factors (air, water, climate, etc.) as indicated by Article 1 of the same establishing law 132/2016. In particular, on the issue of COVID and the environment, ISPRA and SNPA have launched two national projects, mentioned in the EEA report in the COVID session:

• the ISS / ISPRA / SNPA national epidemiological study on air pollution and COVID-19
• the Pulvirus project in collaboration with ENEA and ISS, which also includes the feasibility analysis of an early detection system for viral circulation in the air which, once the adequacy has been verified, will initiate an integrated early warning network on the territory