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The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol on cutting emission of greenhouse gases that came into effect Wednesday is an opportunity for better protection of human health.
"Over 600,000 people died in weather-related disasters in the 1990s," Kerstin Leitner, WHO's assistant director-general for Healthy Environments and Sustainable Development, said in a statement.
"Temperature and rainfall influence the rates of diseases such as diarrhoea, vector-borne infections including malaria, and malnutrition, which together cause over 3.5 million deaths a year,"he said.
"The Kyoto Protocol is a first step towards reducing our impacton the climate system, which exerts such a strong influence on ourhealth," he added.
The Kyoto Protocol, which is signed by 128 nations, commits theparticipating industrialized countries to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by over 5 percent below 1990 levels by the period2008-2012.
Besides reduction on greenhouse gas emissions, it is also essential to protect vulnerable communities from the effect of climate changes.
The WHO said it is working to promote measures such as protection from malaria and other climate sensitive diseases, and reliable access to clean water and sanitation, for people in the most vulnerable developing countries.
Increasing disease control efforts will also help protect current and future generations from the impact of greenhouse gas emission, according to the organization. Enditem
"Over 600,000 people died in weather-related disasters in the 1990s," Kerstin Leitner, WHO's assistant director-general for Healthy Environments and Sustainable Development, said in a statement.
"Temperature and rainfall influence the rates of diseases such as diarrhoea, vector-borne infections including malaria, and malnutrition, which together cause over 3.5 million deaths a year,"he said.
"The Kyoto Protocol is a first step towards reducing our impacton the climate system, which exerts such a strong influence on ourhealth," he added.
The Kyoto Protocol, which is signed by 128 nations, commits theparticipating industrialized countries to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by over 5 percent below 1990 levels by the period2008-2012.
Besides reduction on greenhouse gas emissions, it is also essential to protect vulnerable communities from the effect of climate changes.
The WHO said it is working to promote measures such as protection from malaria and other climate sensitive diseases, and reliable access to clean water and sanitation, for people in the most vulnerable developing countries.
Increasing disease control efforts will also help protect current and future generations from the impact of greenhouse gas emission, according to the organization. Enditem
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