Objective During the 1980's and 1990's, China's rapid economic growth transformed the country and lifted millions of its citizens out of poverty. The economic boom, however, has been accompanied by environmental side effects, including a severe deterioration in the quality of the country's rivers and lakes. Concurrent with the decline in water quality in China's lakes and rivers, the country has witnessed an increase in rural cancer rates. Stomach cancer and liver cancer now represent China's 4th and 6th leading causes of death, and in combination with other digestive tract cancers (e.g. esophageal) account for 11% of all fatalities and nearly one million deaths annually (World Health Organization 2002). The goal of this project is to assess the causal link between water quality and digestive cancer rates in China. This research question has important implications for public health because of both by the high incidence of digestive cancers, and the fact that those who die from these diseases are relatively young – the average decedent loses 20.2 years of remaining life expectancy. In addition, recent estimates by the World Bank (2006) indicate that as many as half of China’s inhabitants still lack access to safe drinking water. Identifying the causal connection between polluted water and cancer rates is therefore of great importance in China, and in other developing nations where industrialization precedes the widespread introduction of water treatment. Identifying risk factors for cancer is also of general scientific interest an the results and may provide information valuable to public health officials in the European Union and other developed nations. Fields of science medical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processesmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyliver cancernatural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrologynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG - Marie Curie Action: "Reintegration Grants" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IRG - International Re-integration Grants (IRG) Coordinator THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM EU contribution € 100 000,00 Address EDMOND J SAFRA CAMPUS GIVAT RAM 91904 Jerusalem Israel See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Hani Ben-Yehuda (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
