The fifth edition of the report, published by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), revealed that Air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021. and many millions are dealing with chronic debilitating diseasesabandoning health systems, economies and societies.
Additionally, it found that children under five years old are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, leading to the deaths of more than 700,000 people in this age group in 2021.
'Accurate predictor'
The SoGA report found that pollutants such as outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which come from burning fossil fuels and biomass in sectors such as transportation, residential housing, wildfires and more, caused more than 90 percent of air pollution deaths worldwide and were found to be the “most consistent and accurate predictor of poor health outcomes worldwide”.”
Other pollutants such as household air pollution, ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which can be found in traffic exhaust, also contribute to the global deterioration of human health.
IES President Dr. Elena Craft said she hopes the information contained in the report inspires change.
“Air pollution has enormous health implications. We know that improving air quality and global public health is practical and achievable.,” she said.
In addition to affecting people's health, pollutants such as PM2.5 add to the greenhouse gases that are warming the planet. As the Earth warms, regions with high levels of NO2 will experience large levels of ozone, which can have greater health effects.
Dr Pallavi Pant, Head of Global Health at HEI, said: “This new report provides a stark reminder of the significant impacts air pollution has on human health, with Much of the burden is borne by young children, older populations, and low- and middle-income countries..”
He continued: “This clearly points to an opportunity for cities and countries to consider air quality and pollution as high-risk factors when developing health policies and other non-communicable disease prevention and control programs.”
Children are “especially vulnerable”
The report reveals that Children are “exceptionally vulnerable” to air pollution and the effects can begin in the womb.. It states that young children's exposure to air pollution has caused one in five deaths worldwide, pneumonia and asthma, and affects children with inequalities more than those in high-income countries.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden said almost 2,000 children under five die every day from the effects of air pollution.
'He The global urgency is undeniable.,” she said. “It is imperative that governments and businesses consider these estimates and locally available data and use them to inform meaningful, child-centered actions to reduce air pollution and protect children's health.”
Progress made
In addition to sharing details about the negative effects of air pollution on human health, the SoGA report also states that there has been increased awareness about the harms of being exposed to air pollution at home and a 53 percent decrease in under-five mortality rate since 2000 due to increased access to clean energy for cooking.
Additionally, regions experiencing the highest levels of air pollution have begun to address the problem by installing air pollution monitoring networks, implementing stricter air quality policies, and more, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
