New study on the impact of poor indoor climate on children

Date: 29th October 2019
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

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This EU-focused study explores the impact of indoor climate hazards on child health and on the overall societal costs related to this.

Some of the key findings include:

  • 30 percent of children in the EU are exposed to one or several of the following indoor climate hazards: damp, noise, excess cold and/or lack of daylight (equating to 26 million children aged under 15).
  • Exposure to these hazards is associated with poorer health outcomes for the children affected, reflected as an increased risk of developing asthma as well as other respiratory diseases, atopic conditions and allergies.
  • The health of more than 1 million children in the EU could be improved if homes deficiencies are corrected.
  • The total number of school days missed by children across the EU and attributable to the prevalence of damp and mould in their homes is about 1.7 million days per year.
  • The economic costs associated with children’s exposure to damp and mould can be estimated to be $62 billion over the next 40 years.
  • Improving ventilation rates in European schools could lead to substantial economic benefits for the EU.

Read the study.