The findings show air pollution is now second to hypertension as a death risk factor, beating tobacco and diabetes.
As per the report, 8.1 million died across the globe in 2021 due to air pollution-related diseases/conditions— meaning one in four such deaths occurred in India. India (2.1 million deaths) and China (2.3 million deaths) accounted for 55% of the global air pollution burden that year.
“Air pollution has had an impact on non-communicable disease burden in India,” said HEI’s Pallavi Pant. “Around 40% of deaths due to heart disease, 33% of lung cancer deaths, 20% of type 2 diabetes deaths, 41% of stroke deaths and 70% of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) deaths were linked to air pollution in 2021,” she said.
The biggest culprit is the microscopic PM2.5, which accounts for six of every 10 air pollution-linked deaths in the world; the other pollutants —household air pollution and ozone—account for 38% and 6% of deaths, respectively.
The SoGA report—produced for the first time in partnership with Unicef—also focused on millions living with debilitating chronic diseases that put a strain on healthcare systems, economies and societies. “Children under five years old are especially vulnerable, with health effects including premature birth, low birth weight, asthma and lung diseases,” it said. In 2021, exposure to air pollution was linked to over 7 lakh deaths of children under 5, making it the second leading risk factor for death globally for this group, after malnutrition. “Exposure to air pollution in young children is linked to pneumonia, responsible for one in five child deaths globally, and asthma, the most common chronic respiratory disease in older children,” the report said.
A senior civic health official said air pollution-related ailments are not notifiable as per govt rules.
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