WEB DESK: A recent report by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) has unveiled alarming figures: every day, nearly 2,000 children succumb to health complications stemming from air pollution, now identified as the second-largest risk factor for premature death worldwide.
In 2021 alone, air pollution contributed to a staggering 8.1 million fatalities globally, constituting approximately 12% of all deaths. This places air pollution ahead of tobacco use and poor diet, making it the second leading cause of premature mortality after high blood pressure. Partnering with UNICEF, HEI’s annual State of Global Air report emphasizes the heightened vulnerability of young children to polluted air.
The report highlights a grim reality: over 700,000 children under five years old lost their lives due to air pollution in 2021. More than half a million of these deaths were linked to indoor cooking with unclean fuels like coal, wood, or dung, predominantly affecting regions in Africa and Asia.
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Pallavi Pant, HEI’s head of global health, underscores the urgency of addressing these issues: “These are solvable problems.” The report further reveals that nearly every person worldwide breathes unhealthy air daily, with over 90% of associated deaths linked to PM2.5 pollutants—microscopic particles known to cause severe health issues such as lung cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
While the report aims to correlate disease rates with air pollution levels, it acknowledges potential underestimations, particularly concerning impacts on brain health and neurodegenerative diseases.
Additionally, ozone pollution, exacerbated by climate change, was accountable for nearly 500,000 deaths in 2021 alone.
This report serves as a poignant call to action, urging global stakeholders to prioritize air quality initiatives to safeguard public health, especially among the most vulnerable populations.
Addressing these challenges not only promises healthier futures but also mitigates one of the gravest public health threats of our time.
