MANILA, 25 September 2020 — In celebration of the World Environmental Health Day tomorrow, the Climate Change Commission paid tribute to the country’s environmental health practitioners (EHPs), workers, and advocates, and called for stronger support for climate and environmental programs, especially in this time of pandemic and climate emergency.
 
Celebrated every September 26th of each year, the World Environmental Health Day aims to underscore the impacts of environmental risks and hazards on public health and wellness.
 
The observance is also in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), which seeks to raise public consciousness on the relationship of health and the environment and promote activities that ensure accountability on health and environmental integrity.
 
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly one in four deaths across the globe are due to environmental factors. Every year, an estimated 12.6 million people die as a result of living or working in an unhealthy environment. Environmental risk factors, such as air, water, and soil pollution, chemical exposures, ultraviolet radiation, and climate change contribute to more than 100 diseases and injuries.
 
The CCC noted that the outbreak of COVID-19 disease caused serious devastation, loss of life, and economic hardship to people all over the world. At the same time, it has brought us to a turning point, of recognizing the greater value of biodiversity conservation and planetary health for sustainable development.
 
In this World Environmental Health Day, as we exert all efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis,
may we also continue taking better decisions and actions that would nurture and protect the delicate balance between humanity and the environment and planet we live in.