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India records highest deaths in children under 5 due to air pollution in 2021

India records highest deaths in children under 5 due to air pollution in 2021

Air pollution killed 260,000 children under 5 in South Asia, making it the second-leading risk factor for death in the region for this age group after malnutrition, finds State of Global Air Report 2024

Richa Sharma
  • Updated Jun 19, 2024 4:02 PM IST
India records highest deaths in children under 5 due to air pollution in 2021The report finds that air pollution accounted for 80,00,000 globally in 2021.

India recorded the highest deaths among children under the age of 5 years, at about 160,000, due to air pollution in South Asia in 2021, finds the fifth-edition of State of Global Air (SoGA) Report 2024 released on Wednesday.

In 2021, India (169,400 deaths), Nigeria (114,100 deaths), Pakistan (68,100 deaths), Ethiopia (31,100 deaths), and Bangladesh (19,100 deaths) saw the largest numbers of air pollution–related deaths among children. In fact, lower respiratory infections (LRIs) are the leading cause of death for children under five.

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The report finds that children under five years are especially vulnerable, with health effects including premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, and lung diseases.

The air pollution-linked death rate in children under the age of five in South Asia is 164 deaths/100,000 compared to a global average of 108 deaths/100,000, the report notes.

Some of the greatest health impacts of air pollution are seen in children, who are uniquely vulnerable to air pollution and the damage from air pollution can start in the womb, with health effects that can last a lifetime.

Globally, exposure to air pollution was linked to more than 700,000 deaths; a staggering 500,000 of these deaths of children were linked to household air pollution due to cooking with polluting fuels such as wood, coal, and dung.

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“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 Dr. Pallavi Pant, Health Effects Institute (HEI) Head of Global Health, who oversaw the SoGA report release.

HEI is an independent US-based nonprofit research organisation.

The report finds that air pollution accounted for 80,00,000 globally in 2021. Beyond these deaths, many more millions are living with debilitating chronic diseases, putting tremendous strains on healthcare systems, economies, and societies.
Globally, some of the highest PM2.5 exposures are experienced across South Asia, although levels are beginning to stabilise in most countries. In the region, levels of ozone have also increased in the last decade, and in 2021, 56% of all global ozone deaths were reported in South Asia.
India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil have experienced increases of more than 10% in ambient ozone exposures in the last decade. Nearly 50% of the total ozone-related deaths occurred in India, it found.

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“These trends reflect a combination of factors, including increased emissions of ozone precursors (such as nitrogen oxides, methane, and non-methane VOCs) with industrialisation and economic development, coupled with warmer temperatures. Also, exposures can be higher than national averages, especially in urban areas, particularly during warmer months,” it added.

Published on: Jun 19, 2024 4:01 PM IST
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