A recently published report has revealed that air pollution was responsible for over 8 million deaths worldwide in 2021. Titled ‘State of Global Air 2023', the study conducted by the independent research organization Health Effects Institute found some alarming statistics.
As per the findings, India and China bore over half of the total global disease burden due to air pollution. A staggering 2.1 million lives were lost in India alone last year due to various diseases caused or exacerbated by air pollution. China recorded 2.3 million deaths during the same period.
Some other noteworthy figures from the report include Nigeria and Egypt losing over 2 million and 1.1 million lives respectively in Africa due to polluted air. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia saw 2.2 million fatalities while the corresponding numbers for Vietnam and Philippines stood at 1 million and 98,000 respectively.
The study concluded nearly 90% of the total air pollutionlinked deaths globally were caused by microscopic PM 2.5 particles. Longterm exposure to such fine particles is known to raise the risks of heart disease, diabetes, lung cancer and other serious ailments.
In India, nearly 50% of all COPD deaths in 2021 were air pollutionrelated according to the analysis. Further, it was stated to be the second biggest risk factor for Indian children dying before turning 5, closely after malnutrition. Air pollution also topped the list of potential death causes due to environmental risks in South Asia.
The ‘State of Global Air 2023' report serves as a reminder of the health hazards posed by deteriorating air quality levels, especially in highly populated developing regions. With strong corrective measures, the loss of millions of lives to this largely preventable risk can be averted.
