India, China Lead In Air Pollution Deaths In 2021: Report
India and China saw 2.1 million and 2.3 million deaths, respectively in 2021, as per a report published on Wednesday.
Air pollution was responsible for 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021. India and China saw 2.1 million and 2.3 million deaths, respectively, as per a report published on Wednesday.
Air pollution is the primary risk factor for mortality in South Asia, followed by high blood pressure, dietary risks, and tobacco use, according to the report released by the Health Effects Institute, a US-based independent research organisation, in collaboration with UNICEF.
"2021 saw more deaths linked to air pollution than were estimated for any previous year. With populations over 1 billion each, India (2.1 million deaths) and China (2.3 million deaths) together account for 54% of the total global disease burden," it stated.
The report indicated that air pollution was responsible for the deaths of 1,69,400 Indian children below the age of five in 2021.
Nigeria reported 1,14,100 child deaths, followed by Pakistan with 68,100, Ethiopia with 31,100, and Bangladesh with 19,100.
Other countries with high impacts included Pakistan (2,56,000 deaths), Bangladesh (2,36,300) and Myanmar (1,01,600 deaths) in South Asia; Indonesia (2,21,600 deaths), Vietnam (99,700 deaths), and the Philippines (98,209) in Southeast Asia; and Nigeria (2,06,700 deaths) and Egypt (1,16,500 deaths) in Africa.
Taken together, air pollution from PM2.5 and ozone was estimated to contribute to 8.1 million deaths—about 12% of the total global deaths—in 2021.
More than 90% of these global air pollution deaths—7.8 million people—are attributed to PM2.5 air pollution, including ambient PM2.5 and household air pollution.
These tiny particles, measuring less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, are so small that they remain in the lungs and can enter the bloodstream, affecting many organ systems and increasing the risks for noncommunicable diseases in adults, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
PM2.5 has been found to be the most consistent and accurate predictor of poor health outcomes around the world, according to the report.
"We hope our State of Global Air report provides both the information and the inspiration for change," said HEI President Elena Craft. "Air pollution has enormous implications for health. We know that improving air quality and global public health is practical and achievable."
"This new report offers a stark reminder of the significant impacts air pollution has on human health, with far too much of the burden borne by young children, older populations, and low- and middle-income countries," said Pallavi Pant, HEI's Head of Global Health, who oversaw the SoGA report release.
"This points sharply to an opportunity for cities and countries to consider air quality and air pollution as high-risk factors when developing health policies and other noncommunicable disease prevention and control programmes," Pant said.
(Text inputs from PTI)
