7 million deaths linked to air pollution annually—WHO

AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A report released on Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that around 7 million people died—one in eight of total global deaths—as a result of air pollution exposure in 2012.

Low- and middle-income countries in the South East Asian and Western Pacific regions shouldered the greatest air pollution-related burden in 2012, according to the WHO. A total of 3.3 million deaths in the two regions were linked to indoor air pollution while 2.6 million deaths were related to outdoor air pollution.

“Cleaning up the air we breathe prevents non-communicable diseases as well as reduces disease risk among women and vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly,” WHO assistant director general for family, women and children’s health, Flavia Bustreo, said in a release made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

“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.”

The study reveals that the vast majority of air pollution-related deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic heart disease and stroke.

The new estimates are based on the latest WHO mortality data from 2012 and evidence of health risks from air pollution exposure.

“The risks from air pollution are now [known to be] far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart disease and stroke,” said Maria Neira, director of the WHO’s department for public health, social and environmental determinants of health.

“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 further said.

Later this year, the WHO will release indoor air quality guidelines for household fuel combustion, country data on outdoor and indoor air pollution exposure and related mortality, and an update of air quality measurements from 1,600 cities across all regions of the world. The Jakarta Post/ANN

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