New State of Global Air 2024 Report says noncommunicable diseases account for up to 90% of the disease burden from air pollution
Air Pollution is now the second highest risk factor for death and accounted for 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021 says the Global Air 2024 Report. It is also the second highest killer the world over of children under five years with 709,000 deaths in the age group being attributed to it.
Non communicable deaths such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accounted for about 90% of the global deaths. “In 2021, long-term exposure to ozone contributed to an estimated 489,000 deaths globally, including 14,000 ozone-related COPD deaths in the United States, higher than other high-income countries. As the world continues to warm from the effects of climate change, areas with high levels of NO2 can expect to see higher levels of ozone, bringing even greater health effects,” the report highlighted.
The ill-effects of air pollution manifest slightly differently in babies and children aged less than five years. Premature birth, low birth weight, delayed brain development, asthma, lung diseases, and childhood cancers have all been linked to air pollution. “In 2021, exposure to air pollution was linked to more than 700,000 deaths in children under five years; 500,000 of these deaths were linked to household air pollution, primarily in South Asia and Africa,” the report said.
