New Delhi: In India, 16.7 lakh people have died due to air pollution in 2019, out of which more than one lakh was less than a month old. This information has come to light in a study conducted on behalf of an American NGO. According to the State of Global Air 2020, the Health Effects Institute (HEI) on Wednesday released a report on the impact of air pollution on the world, stating that air pollution is the biggest threat to health in India.
The report states, “The number of infant deaths in the first month of 2019 due to particulate matter pollution outside and inside the house was more than one lakh 16 thousand. More than half of these deaths are linked to PM2.5 in the external environment and others to pollution caused by the use of coal, wood and dung in cooking. ” The report also states that there is clear evidence of a link between air pollution and heart and lung disease.
HEI President Dan Greenbaum said that the health of a newborn is important for the future of any society and these new evidences show a greater risk to newborns in South Asia and Africa. A new analysis published in the State of Global Air estimates that 21 per cent of neonatal deaths are due to air pollution in and around the home. Air pollution has now become the biggest risk factor for death, the report said.
According to it, South Asian countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal are among the top ten nations where the level of PM 2.5 has been highest in 2019. “All of these countries experienced increased levels of PM2.5 outdoors between 2010 and 2019,” the report said. It said that about 50 million people have suffered from indoor air pollution since 2010. It said, “Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana LPG program and other schemes have helped a lot in accessing clean energy, especially in rural households. Recently, the National Clean Air Program has taken action on major sources of air pollution in metros and other states of the country. ”
click here to view full report: https://www.stateofglobalair.org/
