“The risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart disease and strokes,” Dr. Maria Neira, Director of WHO’s Department for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, said in a statement released by WHO Sunday.
“Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution; the evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe,” she said.
Low- and middle-income countries in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions had the largest air pollution-related burden in 2012, with 3.3 million deaths linked to indoor air pollution and 2.6 million deaths related to outdoor air pollution, the WHO study said.
Diseases related to outdoor air pollution with the highest number of deaths are ischaemic heart disease or reduced blood supply to the heart (40 percent of deaths) and stroke (40 percent).
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung disease characterized by chronically poor airflow caused 11 percent of deaths, while lung cancer and acute lower respiratory infections in children caused six and three percent respectively.
“Excessive air pollution is often a by-product of unsustainable policies in sectors such as transport, energy, waste management, and industry. In most cases, healthier strategies will also be more economical in the long term due to health-care cost savings as well as climate gains,” Dr. Carlos Dora, WHO Coordinator for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, said in the statement.
“WHO and health sectors have a unique role in translating scientific evidence on air pollution into policies that can deliver impact and improvements that will save lives.”
Indoor air pollution, caused by cooking using coal, wood, and other biomass materials, has been linked to around 4.3 million deaths in households worldwide, the WHO study found.
“Cleaning up the air we breathe prevents noncommunicable diseases as well as reduces disease risks among women and vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly,” Dr. Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General Family, Women and Children’s Health, said in the statement.
“Poor women and children pay a heavy price from indoor air pollution since they spend more time at home breathing in smoke and soot from leaky coal and wood cook stoves,” she said.
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