Pollution, particularly air pollution, remains a major global killer. A new report published says that pollution contributed to 9 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019. These latest numbers are no different from recent annual estimates, and the study’s authors complain that little has been done during this time to reduce the well-known harm from pollutants.
Although pollution can vary depending on the type of pollutant, duration and route of exposure, it can cause all kinds of acute and chronic health risks. In particular, air pollution is known to increase the risk of severe asthma attacks, cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and slow-developing health problems such as lung cancer. These risks can also be passed on to the next generation, as high exposure to air pollution during pregnancy can increase the chances of preterm birth and other complications.
The findings, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, are presented as an update to the 2017 report by the Lancet Pollution and Health Commission. The new study not only estimates pollution-related deaths in 2019, but also tracks related deaths from different types of pollution over the past 20 years.
According to the report, air pollution caused more than 6 million deaths in 2019. Overall, there were 9 million deaths attributed to pollution in 2019. This accounts for about one in every six deaths that year. to compare; The total number of deaths reported from the first day of the COVID-19 outbreak to date has stood at 6.3 million…
However, these deaths were not felt globally, with more than 90% in low-middle income countries. Lead author Richard Fuller, co-chair of the Lancet Pollution and Health Commission, said in a statement from the Lancet that “the health effects of pollution continue to be enormous, and low- and middle-income countries are being overwhelmed by this burden. Despite its major health, social and economic impacts, pollution prevention is largely overlooked on the international development agenda.”
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