2025-01-01-世界卫生组织-Environmental_Health_Nepal_2024_country_profile_3页_181kb

Nepal Health and Environment Scorecard Summary

Overview

A comprehensive assessment of health and environmental indicators in Nepal, highlighting key challenges and areas for improvement based on data from WHO, UNICEF, ILO, and other sources.

Air Pollution

• High PM2.5 levels (36 μg/m³, exceeding WHO guideline of 5 μg/m³), leading to significant health impacts such as stroke and ischemic heart disease mortality.
• Compliance with WHO guidelines is partial, with legal and national policies for clean air lacking full implementation to address widespread exposure.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

• Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is limited; urban areas show marginally better indicators, but rates are below 50% in both urban and rural settings.
• High mortality from diarrheal diseases due to poor WASH infrastructure and hygiene practices, with national policies insufficiently funded and enforced.

Climate Change

• High vulnerability to climate impacts; projected 102 heat-related deaths per year by 2050 under a high emissions scenario, compared to lower historical rates.
• No recent national assessment or adaptation plan for health, with COP26 commitments unfulfilled, increasing health system risks.

Biodiversity

• Protected areas exist to conserve 30% of land, water, and seas by 2030, but data shows a 5% forest area decrease since 1990, indicating insufficient progress and data gaps.

Chemicals and Radiation

• Elevated mean blood lead level (10 μg/dL) in children under five, and low IHR capacity (40%) for chemical emergencies.
• Radiation exposures: High melanoma and skin cancer cases from residential radon, with inadequate regulations and insufficient national policies.

Occupational Health

• Significant risks in employment: 44 deaths per 100,000 working-age people from occupational diseases, low implementation of health and safety policies compared to regional standards.
• Weak adherence to key international labor conventions, requiring stronger frameworks and services for health workers.

Health Care Facilities

• Many facilities lack basic WASH services, reliable electricity, and climate resilience standards, hindering proper healthcare delivery and waste management.
• Health care waste management and environmental sustainability indicators are insufficient, with data gaps noted.

General conclusion: Nepal faces substantial deficits in environmental and health policies and their implementation, necessitating urgent action to reduce risks, improve compliance, and align with global commitments.