Nearly 2,000 children die every day due to health issues related to air pollution, according to the latest report from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in the United States.
As stated in the report released on June 19, exposure to air pollution is part of the reason for the deaths of 8.1 million people, accounting for approximately 12% of total deaths in 2021.
The report utilized data from over 200 countries and territories participating in the Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Students wearing pollution masks during a pollution episode in Bangkok, Thailand in 2023 – (Photo: EPA).
The reported death toll also indicates that air pollution has become the second leading risk factor for premature death, following high blood pressure and ranking above other factors such as smoking and poor diet.
Notably, the report emphasizes that young children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, contributing to the deaths of over 700,000 children under the age of 5. Of these, more than 500,000 cases are attributed to exposure to polluted air from indoor cooking using dirty fuels such as coal, wood, or dried dung, primarily occurring in Africa and Asia.
The report was conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The report states that nearly everyone in the world inhales air with concerning levels of pollution every day. Over 90% of deaths associated with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are linked to pollutants known to increase the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and a variety of other health problems.
The report also found that ozone pollution was linked to nearly 500,000 deaths in 2021. This situation is expected to worsen as the Earth warms due to climate change.
According to Pallavi Pant, the Director of Global Health Research at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, many places around the world are experiencing short but severe air pollution events, such as those following wildfires, dust storms, or extreme heat, all of which can increase ozone pollution levels.
She noted that combating climate change and reducing air pollution can employ very similar solutions, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing efforts to decrease the use of dirty solid fuels for indoor cooking.
The Impact of Air Pollution Is Still Underestimated While the figures presented are “quite severe,” Ms. Pant pointed out that the report may not fully capture the impact of air pollution as it does not account for the effects on brain health, neurodegenerative diseases, or the impact of using solid fuels for heating. Meanwhile, UNICEF representative Kitty van der Heijden stated that the nearly 2,000 children under 5 who die each day due to health impacts related to air pollution highlight how the indifference of today’s generation can profoundly affect future generations. |
