A UN warning about chemical dangers
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="Nations">Nations</span> <span word="Environment">Environment</span> <span word="Program">Program</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="calling">calling</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="urgent">urgent</span> <span word="action">action</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="reduce">reduce</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="risks">risks</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="chemicals">chemicals</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="agency">agency</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="report">report</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="management">management</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="chemicals">chemicals</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="save">save</span> <span word="millions">millions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="lives">lives</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="billions">billions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dollars">dollars</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Global">Global</span> <span word="Chemicals">Chemicals</span> <span word="Outlook">Outlook</span> <span word="report">report</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="discussed">discussed</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Nairobi">Nairobi</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="International">International</span> <span word="Conference">Conference</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Chemicals">Chemicals</span> <span word="Management">Management</span>.</p><p><span word="An">An</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> 143,000 <span word="chemicals">chemicals</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="produced">produced</span>. <span word="Yet">Yet</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="report">report</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="chemicals">chemicals</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="studied">studied</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="effects">effects</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="health">health</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="environment">environment</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="death">death</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="disability">disability</span> <span word="rates">rates</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="unsafe">unsafe</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="chemical">chemical</span> <span word="products">products</span>.</p><p><span word="Sylvie">Sylvie</span> <span word="Lemmet">Lemmet</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="director">director</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Division">Division</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Technology">Technology</span>, <span word="Industry">Industry</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Economics">Economics</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="N">N</span>. <span word="Environment">Environment</span> <span word="Program">Program</span>. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="management">management</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="chemicals">chemicals</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="cost">cost</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="overseas">overseas</span> <span word="development">development</span> <span word="aid">aid</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="ODA">ODA</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="health">health</span> <span word="care">care</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="sub">sub</span>-<span word="Saharan">Saharan</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>.</p><p><span word="SYLVIE">SYLVIE</span> <span word="LEMMET">LEMMET</span>: "<span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="poisoning">poisoning</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="pesticide">pesticide</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="sub">sub</span>-<span word="Saharan">Saharan</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>, <span word="only">only</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="injury">injury</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="loss">loss</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> 6.3 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="dollars">dollars</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2009. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="total">total</span> <span word="ODA">ODA</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="health">health</span> <span word="sector">sector</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="area">area</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="N">N</span>. <span word="Environment">Environment</span> <span word="Program">Program</span> <span word="estimates">estimates</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="chemical">chemical</span> <span word="sales">sales</span> <span word="worldwide">worldwide</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="around">around</span> 3% <span word="a">a</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="until">until</span> 2050. <span word="Chemical">Chemical</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="developed">developed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="developing">developing</span> <span word="countries">countries</span>. <span word="By">By</span> 2020, <span word="chemical">chemical</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="forty">forty</span> <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="and">and</span> 33% <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Latin">Latin</span> <span word="America">America</span>.</p>
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