Air pollution was responsible for 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021, with India and China accounting for 2.1 million and 2.3 million deaths, respectively, according to a report released on Wednesday.
This report, published by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent research organization based in the US, in collaboration with UNICEF, also revealed that air pollution caused the deaths of 169,400 children under the age of five in India in 2021.
Following India, Nigeria recorded 114,100 child deaths, Pakistan had 68,100, Ethiopia reported 31,100, and Bangladesh accounted for 19,100, according to the report.
The report also highlighted that nearly half of all ozone-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) deaths in 2021 occurred in India (237,000 deaths), followed by China (125,600) and Bangladesh (15,000).
Air pollution was identified as the leading risk factor for deaths in South Asia, with high blood pressure, diet, and tobacco following. It was also the second leading risk factor for death among children under five in 2021, after malnutrition.
The report emphasized, “The year 2021 saw more deaths linked to air pollution than were estimated for any previous year. With populations over 1 billion each, India (2.1 million deaths) and China (2.3 million deaths) together account for 54 per cent of the total global disease burden.” High-impact countries included Pakistan (256,000 deaths), Bangladesh (236,300 deaths), and Myanmar (101,600 deaths) in South Asia; Indonesia (221,600 deaths), Vietnam (99,700 deaths), and the Philippines (98,209 deaths) in Southeast Asia; and Nigeria (206,700 deaths) and Egypt (116,500 deaths) in Africa.
In total, air pollution from PM2.5 and ozone was estimated to contribute to 8.1 million deaths — about 12 per cent of total global deaths — in 2021.
More than 90 per cent of these global air pollution deaths — 7.8 million people — are attributed to PM2.5 pollution, from both ambient and household sources.
These minute particles, smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, affecting multiple organ systems and increasing the risk of noncommunicable diseases in adults, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and COPD.
According to the report, PM2.5 is the most consistent and accurate predictor of poor health outcomes globally.
“We hope our State of Global Air report provides both the information and the inspiration for change,” said HEI President Elena Craft.
“Air pollution has enormous implications for health. We know that improving air quality and global public health is practical and achievable,” Craft added.
“This new report offers a stark reminder of the significant impacts air pollution has on human health, with far too much of the burden borne by young children, older populations, and low- and middle-income countries,” said Pallavi Pant, HEI’s Head of Global Health.
“This points sharply to an opportunity for cities and countries to consider air quality and air pollution as high-risk factors when developing health policies and other noncommunicable disease prevention and control programs,” Pant concluded.
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