21 Nov 2024 • Outdoor air pollution is a major global health crisis, contributing to millions of premature deaths annually.

In 2019, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from ambient air pollution caused an estimated 4.2 million deaths worldwide, primarily from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as cancers.

By 2021, the death toll rose to 8.1 million, with India and China accounting for more than half of these fatalities. Specifically, India contributed 2.3 million deaths, and China, 2.1 million.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted that in 2019, 68% of these deaths were linked to ischemic heart disease and stroke, 14% to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 14% to acute lower respiratory infections, and 4% to lung cancer. Alarmingly, 89% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, with the highest burden in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions.

These findings underscore the urgent need for effective air quality management and health interventions, particularly in the most affected regions, to combat the growing threat of outdoor air pollution. Source: The Health Site Read full story