2023-06-06-世界卫生组织-Environmental_Health_Algeria_2023_country_profile_3页_188kb

Algeria Health and Environment Scorecard Summary

This summary outlines the key findings from the WHO's Health and Environment Scorecard for Algeria.

Overview

Algeria has a low health and environment scorecard ranking in the European Region (4th of 47 countries) for chemical events capacity, chemical policy for lead, radiation, and occupational health sections. Insufficient data is a recurring barrier to accurate assessment and scoring across many categories.

Health Impact and Policies

• Air Pollution: High fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels (23 μg/m³), below the WHO guideline, affect health significantly. Risk policies for household air pollution (HAP) exist but insufficient data limits scoring. National climate assessments and adaptation plans need improvement. Algeria is not compliant with WHO Air Quality Guidelines for PM2.5 set at 5 μg/m³. Only 1% of deaths caused by stroke and ischaemic heart disease are attributed to air pollution. Sufficient funding for implementing national environmental plans for diarrhoea-related deaths requires policy action.
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): There is insufficient data to accurately assess progress towards safely managed drinking water and sanitation services (SDG indicators) for both urban and rural populations, although nearly all assessed locations lack certain basic water and sanitation services in health facilities.
• Chemicals: Algeria demonstrates capacity for rapidly responding to chemical events (albeit improved), covering about 1% of the population. However, there is only limited evidence for legal limits on lead paint and no centrally regulated limit, indicating a persistent gap. For mercury, Algeria is a party to the Minamata Convention but lacks legally binding standards for implementation (insufficient data). For non-occupational indoor exposure to mercury, there is even less evidence.
• Radiation: There is insufficient data to assess national standards on electromagnetic fields (EMF), limits on artificial tanning devices/sunbeds leading to skin cancer, or national radon regulations for dwellings. This significantly impacts the score.
• Occupational Health: National policies and standards for occupational health and safety for health workers are claimed to exist, but no data is available to confirm effectiveness in reducing deaths, injuries, or risks faced by workers, with insufficient data noted.
• Health Care Facilities: There is insufficient data on climate vulnerability or adaptation assessments for health facilities. Insufficient data also exists concerning health care facilities without basic water and sanitation/WASH services and reliable electricity.

Climate Change

• Vulnerability to heat stress deaths is assessed, with the number of warm spell days increasing. Algeria reports its assessment for technical inputs to the COP report for 2050 and claims an adaptation plan exists, but insufficient data limits scoring or verification. No commitment to a time-bound national climate change health programme or a low-carbon health system was identified.

Overall, Algeria faces significant challenges in addressing environmental risk factors (air pollution, water safety, chemicals/radiation) and in adapting to climate change impacts on health, primarily hampered by insufficient data and policy gaps.