NEW DELHI: Pollution remains the world’s largest environmental threat to human health, responsible in 2017 for 15 per cent of all deaths globally, according to a global report. Worse, India and China lead the number of pollution deaths with about 2.3 million and 1.8 million deaths, respectively. The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) found that more than two-thirds of the adverse health impacts of pollution are experienced as Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Pollution of all types was responsible for 21 per cent of all deaths from cardiovascular disease, 26 per cent of deaths due to ischemic heart disease, 23 per cent of deaths due to stroke, 51 per cent of deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 43 per cent of deaths due to lung cancer.
“The report reminds us all that pollution is a global crisis. It does not matter where you live. Pollution will find you,” said Rachael Kupka, acting executive director, GAHP. Overall, the results show an improvement in the number of premature deaths from traditional types of pollution — sanitation and household air — from 2015 to 2017. But modern pollution, which is caused by industrialisation and urbanisation, is on the rise. It added that modern pollution, now responsible for 5.3 million deaths a year, is poorly addressed in development agendas. While attention is growing, pollution crisis still lacks substantive focus within international development agencies.
“Although pollution is one of the world’s leading killers, it does not get the resources commensurate with the impact. It is difficult to trace deaths to pollution because there are so many types of pollution and end results. A person dying from a disease, for example, may not be counted as a polluted-related death even if pollution was a major factor,” said Dr Jack Caravanos, GAHP Advisor.