The Lancet Commissions

The Lancet Commission on pollution and health

The Lancet Commission on pollution and health Philip J Landrigan, Richard Fuller, Nereus J R Acosta, Olusoji Adeyi, Robert Arnold, Niladri (Nil) Basu, Abdoulaye Bibi Baldé, Roberto Bertollini, Stephan Bose-O’Reilly, Jo Ivey Boufford, Patrick N Breysse, Thomas Chiles, Chulabhorn Mahidol, Awa M Coll-Seck, Maureen L Cropper, Julius Fobil, Valentin Fuster, Michael Greenstone, Andy Haines, David Hanrahan, David Hunter, Mukesh Khare, Alan Krupnick, Bruce Lanphear, Bindu Lohani, Keith Martin, Karen V Mathiasen, Maureen A McTeer, Christopher J L Murray, Johanita D Ndahimananjara, Frederica Perera, Janez Potočnik, Alexander S Preker, Jairam Ramesh, Johan Rockström, Carlos Salinas, Leona D Samson, Karti Sandilya, Peter D Sly, Kirk R Smith, Achim Steiner, Richard B Stewart, William A Suk, Onno C P van Schayck, Gautam N Yadama, Kandeh Yumkella, Ma Zhong

Published: 19 October 2017  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32345-0

• Summary

Pollution is the largest environmental cause of disease and premature death in the world today. Diseases caused by pollution were responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths in 2015—16% of all deaths worldwide—three times more deaths than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined and 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence. In the most severely affected countries, pollution-related disease is responsible for more than one death in four.

The Chief Public Health Officer’s Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2017 – Designing Healthy Living

The Chief Public Health Officer’s Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2017 – Designing Healthy Living

A message from Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer

Without being aware of it, our neighbourhoods and how they are built influence how healthy we are.

I chose designing healthy living as the topic for my first report as Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer because of the tremendous potential that changing our built environment has for helping Canadians live healthier lives.

Chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease are the leading causes of death in Canada. It is alarming that in 2011, almost 2.7 million or 1 in 10 Canadians 20 years and older were living with diabetes. Rising rates of type II diabetes can be considered a red flag for poor health as they are associated with higher rates of other diseases and conditions and linked to an unhealthy diet, low physical activity and higher rates of overweight and obesity. Rates of type II diabetes and other chronic diseases in Canada could be reduced by seamlessly integrating healthy living into our daily lives which can be achieved, in part, by designing and redesigning our communities.

Improving public health and preventing disease through changes to our environment is a well-founded concept. For example, infectious disease rates in the last century were reduced not just through scientific innovation and vaccination, but also through infrastructure planning by improving sanitation and addressing overcrowding in residential neighbourhoods.

This report answers many questions but also raises several others. We need better information if we are to measure the health impacts of community design to incorporate evidence-based strategies into community planning. This report will raise awareness among Canadians about the unique aspects of their communities that they could take advantage of to improve their health. It will also encourage more dialogue across the many disciplines involved in community planning and health promotion so that neighbourhood design considers and promotes physical activity, healthy diets and mental wellness.

Dr. Theresa Tam
Chief Public Health Officer of Canada

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/chief-public-health-officer-reports-state-public-health-canada/2017-designing-healthy-living.html

Heat and pregnancy-related emergencies: Risk of placental abruption during hot weather.

He S¹, Kosatsky T², Smargiassi A³, Bilodeau-Bertrand M⁴, Auger N⁵.

Environ Int. 2017 Nov 13. pii: S0160-4120(17)31686-0  DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2017.11.004

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Outdoor heat increases the risk of preterm birth and stillbirth, but the association with placental abruption has not been studied. Placental abruption is a medical emergency associated with major morbidity and mortality in pregnancy. We determined the relationship between ambient temperature and risk of placental abruption in warm seasons.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

We performed a case-crossover analysis of 17,172 women whose pregnancies were complicated by placental abruption in Quebec, Canada from May to October 1989-2012. The main exposure measure was the maximum temperature reached during the week before abruption. We computed odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of temperature with placental abruption, adjusted for humidity and public holidays. We assessed whether associations were stronger preterm or at term, or varied with maternal age, parity, comorbidity and socioeconomic status.

RESULTS:

Compared with 15°C, a maximum weekly temperature of 30°C was associated with 1.07 times the odds of abruption (95% CI 0.99-1.16). When the timing of abruption was examined, the associations were significantly stronger at term (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.24) than preterm (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.83-1.10). Relationships were more prominent at term for women who were younger than 35years old, nulliparous or socioeconomically disadvantaged, but did not vary with comorbidity. Associations were stronger within 1 and 5days of abruption. Temperature was not associated with preterm abruption regardless of maternal characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS:

Elevated temperatures in warm seasons may increase the risk of abruption in women whose pregnancies are near or at term. Pregnant women may be more sensitive to heat and should consider preventive measures such as air conditioning and hydration during hot weather.

Noise exposure while commuting in Toronto – a study of personal and public transportation in Toronto

Christopher M.K.L. Yao, Andrew K. Ma, Sharon L. Cushing and Vincent Y.W. Lin.

Journal of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery201746:62 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-017-0239-6 23 November 2017

Abstract

Background

With an increasing proportion of the population living in cities, mass transportation has been rapidly expanding to facilitate the demand, yet there is a concern that mass transit has the potential to result in excessive exposure to noise, and subsequently noise-induced hearing loss.

Methods

Noise dosimetry was used to measure time-integrated noise levels in a representative sample of the Toronto Mass Transit system (subway, streetcar, and buses) both aboard moving transit vehicles and on boarding platforms from April – August 2016. 210 measurements were conducted with multiple measurements approximating 2 min on platforms, 4 min within a vehicle in motion, and 10 min while in a car, on a bike or on foot. Descriptive statistics for each type of transportation, and measurement location (platform vs. vehicle) was computed, with measurement locations compared using 1-way analysis of variance.

Results

On average, there are 1.69 million riders per day, who are serviced by 69 subway stations, and 154 streetcar or subway routes. Average noise level was greater in the subway and bus than in the streetcar (79.8 +/− 4.0 dBA, 78.1 +/− 4.9 dBA, vs 71.5 +/−1.8 dBA, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, average noise measured on subway platforms were higher than within vehicles (80.9 +/− 3.9 dBA vs 76.8 +/− 2.6 dBA, p < 0.0001). Peak noise exposures on subway, bus and streetcar routes had an average of 109.8 +/− 4.9 dBA and range of 90.4–123.4 dBA, 112.3 +/− 6.0 dBA and 89.4–128.1 dBA, and 108.6 +/− 8.1 dBA and 103.5–125.2 dBA respectively. Peak noise exposures exceeded 115 dBA on 19.9%, 85.0%, and 20.0% of measurements in the subway, bus and streetcar respectively.

Conclusions

Although the mean average noise levels on the Toronto transit system are within the recommended level of safe noise exposure, cumulative intermittent bursts of impulse noise (peak noise exposures) particularly on bus routes have the potential to place individuals at risk for noise induced hearing

Estimating the health benefits of planned public transit investments in Montreal.

Tétreault LF¹, Eluru N², Hatzopoulou M³, Morency P⁴, Plante C⁵, Morency C⁶, Reynaud F⁷, Shekarrizfard M³, Shamsunnahar Y², Faghih Imani A⁷, Drouin L⁴, Pelletier A⁵, Goudreau S⁵, Tessier F⁵, Gauvin L⁸, Smargiassi A⁹.

Environ Res. 2017 Oct 23;160:412-419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2017.10.025

BACKGROUND:

Since public transit infrastructure affects road traffic volumes and influences transportation mode choice, which in turn impacts health, it is important to estimate the alteration of the health burden linked with transit policies.

OBJECTIVE:

We quantified the variation in health benefits and burden between a business as usual (BAU) and a public transit (PT) scenarios in 2031 (with 8 and 19 new subway and train stations) for the greater Montreal region.

METHOD:

Using mode choice and traffic assignment models, we predicted the transportation mode choice and traffic assignment on the road network. Subsequently, we estimated the distance travelled in each municipality by mode, the minutes spent in active transportation, as well as traffic emissions. Thereafter we estimated the health burden attributed to air pollution and road traumas and the gains associated with active transportation for both the BAU and PT scenarios.

RESULTS:

We predicted a slight decrease of overall trips and kilometers travelled by car as well as an increase of active transportation for the PT in 2031 vs the BAU. Our analysis shows that new infrastructure will reduce the overall burden of transportation by 2.5 DALYs per 100,000 persons. This decrease is caused by the reduction of road traumas occurring in the inner suburbs and central Montreal region as well as gains in active transportation in the inner suburbs.

CONCLUSION:

Based on the results of our study, transportation planned public transit projects for Montreal are unlikely to reduce drastically the burden of disease attributable to road vehicles and infrastructures in the Montreal region. The impact of the planned transportation infrastructures seems to be very low and localized mainly in the areas where new public transit stations are planned.

The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: from 25 years of inaction to a global transformation for public health

Watts et al

The Lancet, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32464-9

Summary

The Lancet Countdown tracks progress on health and climate change and provides an independent assessment of the health effects of climate change, the implementation of the Paris Agreement,¹ and the health implications of these actions. It follows on from the work of the 2015 Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change,² which concluded that anthropogenic climate change threatens to undermine the past 50 years of gains in public health, and conversely, that a comprehensive response to climate change could be “the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century”.