Air pollution ranks as the second leading cause of premature death globally

A report released on Wednesday by the US-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) has highlighted the alarming impact of air pollution on global health, revealing that nearly 2,000 children die daily from health complications linked to polluted air. In 2021, air pollution contributed to the deaths of approximately 8.1 million people worldwide, representing about 12 percent of all global fatalities.

This places air pollution as the second leading risk factor for premature death globally, surpassing tobacco use and poor diet, and following closely behind high blood pressure. Partnering with UNICEF for its annual State of Global Air report, HEI emphasized the heightened vulnerability of young children to the harmful effects of polluted air.

The report specifically noted that over 700,000 children under the age of five succumbed to illnesses exacerbated by air pollution in 2021. Of these deaths, more than 500,000 were attributed to indoor pollution from cooking with unclean fuels like coal, wood, or dung, predominantly affecting regions in Africa and Asia.

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Pallavi Pant, HEI’s head of global health, underscored that these issues are addressable with the right interventions. The report also highlighted that a significant majority of people worldwide are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution daily.

PM2.5 pollutants, which are fine particles that can lead to lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other health problems, were implicated in over 90 percent of the deaths linked to air pollution in the report. It also acknowledged the underestimated impact on brain health and neurodegenerative diseases due to air pollution exposure. Additionally, ozone pollution, expected to exacerbate with climate change, was responsible for nearly 500,000 deaths globally in 2021, further emphasizing the multifaceted health risks associated with air pollution.