Posted Feb 2, 2010
The global life expectancy average could be nearly five years higher if key health risk factors were addressed, the World Health Organization said in study published Tuesday.
Childhood underweight, unsafe sex, alcohol use, lack of clean water, sanitation and hygiene, and high blood pressure are responsible for one-quarter of the 60 million deaths estimated to occur annually, according to the WHO report, entitled Global Health Risks.
The study lists 24 factors affecting health, ranging from air pollution to poor nutrition, and includes issues like tobacco use and alcohol abuse. The WHO said a mix of risk factors was usually behind premature deaths.
At the global level, overweight and obesity cause more deaths than underweight, the study found, though in poor countries nutritional deficiencies prevent one in 38 newborns from reaching the age of five.
In 2004, a total of 10.4 million children died, mostly in the non- industrialized countries, with over a third of the fatalities due to nutritional issues and preventable environmental risks.
Date: Oct 2009