Air Pollution: Is breathing dangerous now? ‘Air pollution is a silent killer’; WHO severe warning

• The increasing burden of non-communicable diseases
• Climate change deepens the crisis
• The World Health Organization aims to halve deaths by 2040

Sunayana Sonwane : Air Pollution : Air pollution is no longer just an environmental problem, but has become one of the greatest global public health challenges. As many as 79 lakh people died due to air pollution in the world in 2023 and 86 percent of them were related to non-communicable diseases, according to the ‘State of Global Air 2025’ report. Due to increasing pollution, aging population and climate change, this crisis is expected to intensify in the future.

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Diseases caused by air pollution

According to the report released by the Health Effects Institute, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the NCD Alliance, of the 7.9 million deaths attributed to air pollution, 6.8 million are due to non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, COPD, diabetes, lung disease, cancer and dementia. In particular, 95 percent of pollution-related deaths among people above the age of 60 are related to these diseases, the report states.

Increase in mortality

In 2023, 16.1 million healthy life years were lost to citizens worldwide due to air pollution. This has resulted in increased strain on the health system, overcrowding in hospitals, loss of productivity and economic losses. This year’s report, for the first time, included a link between dementia and air pollution, citing more than 6.25 lakh deaths due to this cause. Against this backdrop, the World Health Organization has set a target of reducing deaths due to man-made air pollution by 50 percent by 2040.

36 percent of the world’s population is exposed to dangerous PM 2.5 (particulate matter) pollution and nearly 2.6 billion people are exposed to pollution from household solid fuels. Low- and middle-income countries are the hardest hit by the crisis, the report said. Climate change is also specifically mentioned in the report. Increasing heat waves, forest fires and ozone pollution are increasing the risk of respiratory and heart diseases. Experts believe that implementation of clean energy, pollution control, expansion of public transport and effective policies can save millions of lives.

Key findings from the report

• 79 lakh deaths due to air pollution in 2023
• 68 lakh (86%) deaths are due to non-communicable diseases
• 16.1 crore healthy life years lost
• 6.25 lakh deaths due to dementia related to air pollution
• 36% of the world’s population is exposed to dangerous PM 2.5 pollution
• 2.6 billion people exposed to pollution from domestic solid fuels
• 95% of pollution-related deaths in persons over 60 are due to non-communicable diseases
• World Health Organization Target: Reduce pollution-related deaths by 50% by 2040

Respiratory specialist Dr. Says Abhijit Kore, ‘Micro pollutants like PM 2.5 are not confined to the lungs, but mix with the bloodstream and affect the heart, brain and other organs. So the effects of pollution are not limited to respiratory disorders.’

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