Air pollution is the second largest risk factor for premature death worldwide
According to AFP on June 19, a report released on the 19th said that nearly 2,000 children die every day from health problems related to air pollution, and air pollution is now the second largest risk factor for premature death in the world.
According to a report by the US-based Health Effects Institute, exposure to air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths in 2021 – about 12% of all deaths.
Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution. The institute works with UNICEF to publish the annual “Global Air Status Report”. The report found that air pollution caused the deaths of more than 700,000 children under the age of 5. More than 500,000 of these deaths can be attributed to cooking indoors with dirty fuels such as coal, wood or dung, mainly in Africa and Asia.
The report found that almost everyone in the world breathes unhealthy polluted air every day. The report said that more than 90% of deaths were related to air pollutant particles known as PM2.5.
People have found that breathing PM2.5 increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and a range of other health problems. The report aims to link rates of such illnesses to levels of air pollution.
It also found that in 2021, ozone pollution — a problem expected to get worse as the world warms due to human-driven climate change — was linked to nearly half a million deaths.
World Health Organization: Air pollution – an invisible threat to health
1.Air pollution is a public health emergency
Every day when we breathe, an invisible storm of particulate matter and harmful molecules invades our bodies, not just our lungs. However, have you ever really thought about the importance of clean air to your personal health and well-being?
This is a question worth thinking about, because you are likely one of the vast majority of people: 99% of people are exposed to air pollutants at concentrations exceeding the recommended air pollution concentration levels in the latest health guidelines issued by the World Health Organization in 2021.
Air pollution is a major environmental threat and one of the leading causes of death among all risk factors, second only to high blood pressure, smoking and high blood sugar.
The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 7 million people die prematurely each year not only from ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, but also from acute respiratory infections (such as pneumonia) that mainly affect children in low- and middle-income countries.
As one of the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases, there is growing evidence that air pollution affects our entire body, far beyond the lungs, through premature birth and low birth weight, asthma, and cognitive and neurological impairments.
Air pollution also poses a threat to the economics of public health, as it imposes a huge cost on global health, amounting to 6.1% of global GDP.
2.To Breathe Tomorrow: Training the Next Generation of Health Workers
Please put yourself in the shoes of a family doctor facing a little girl who often suffers from asthma attacks. When you start collecting the girl’s medical records, you realize that the case may be more complicated than it seems.
Currently, health workers often do not know much about the impact of air pollution on human health. A study by the International Medical Students Association reported that only 12% of medical schools in various countries include air pollution as part of formal education. This risk factor does not receive enough attention in the teaching curriculum of health professionals.
The study also found that there is a lack of close integration of air pollutants and health in clinical disease guideline documents. A survey of members of the World Heart Federation showed that although air pollution is considered one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease, less than 50% of respondents said they have access to any means and resources to educate themselves and others.
However, the international community has only recently recognized that health workers should play a more important role in achieving the goal of clean air.
3.Training of trainers example: pilot training workshop in Ghana
In June 2022, the World Health Organization, in collaboration with the Ghana Ministry of Health Services, held a week-long pilot workshop on the Air Pollution and Health Training Health Worker Toolkit (APHT) in Kumasi, Ghana, with approximately fifty health professionals in attendance. The World Health Organization also invited experts from the Global Family Doctor Organization and the University of Ghana to participate in the event.
Edward Owusu, regional health director of the Central Regional Health Authority in Ghana, said during the pilot workshop, “If health workers are aware, they can train their peers and provide advice to people in their communities on air pollution and health issues, telling them how to reduce risks.”
Participants in the workshop received a series of interactive workshops on application modules and multiple contents, including an introductory module on air pollution and health issues, and specific modules for clinicians and caregivers on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and the health effects of air pollution on newborns, children and pregnant women.
4.Interventions to achieve clean air are a win-win opportunity
Reducing air pollutant emissions is a “win-win” opportunity to protect human health and the environment and mitigate climate change at the same time, as the burning of fossil fuels increases the concentration levels of certain air pollutants.
In addition to interventions in areas such as household energy, transportation, power generation, industry, agriculture and housing, strengthening the capacity of the health sector on air pollution and health is essential to reducing the burden of disease.
Health workers play a central role in this effort, engaging in multi-sectoral actions, advocating for clean air interventions to reduce pollutant emissions, and promoting cooperation among all civil society actors, political parties and policy implementation agencies. The actions they take provide an unprecedented opportunity to protect and promote people’s health and well-being and the earth’s environment.
While health workers cannot reduce air pollution emissions alone, they are always trusted and at the forefront of prevention and care, which lays a solid foundation for providing guidance to individuals, patients and communities.
Primary prevention and addressing the root causes of health diseases remain critical and need to be further strengthened because they are cost-effective but often neglected due to insufficient funding.
WHO warns of threat from air pollution: causing nearly 1 in 10 deaths among children under five
WHO officials believe that this meeting will give world leaders, ministers of health, energy and environment, mayors, heads of intergovernmental organizations, scientists and other representatives the opportunity to make action commitments on air pollution, a serious health threat that shortens about 7 million lives each year.
According to their research, air pollution is one of the main threats to children’s health, and nearly one-tenth of deaths among children under five are caused by air pollution. Currently, about 93% of children under the age of 15 (1.8 billion children) breathe severely polluted air every day, putting their health and development at serious risk. Sadly, many of them die as a result: the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2016, 600,000 children died from acute lower respiratory tract infections caused by polluted air.
Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health at WHO, believes that air pollution is hindering the normal development of children’s brains and affecting their health in more ways than we can imagine. In fact, we have many simple ways to reduce the emission of dangerous pollutants. WHO is supporting the implementation of health-friendly policy measures, such as accelerating the shift to clean cooking and heating fuels and technologies, encouraging the use of cleaner transport, and promoting energy-efficient housing and urban planning. We are paving the way for low-emission power generation, cleaner and safer industrial technologies, and better urban waste management.
It is reported that the new report made by WHO recently on the theme of “Air Pollution and Child Health: Clean Air is a Good Policy” focuses on the serious impact of outdoor and household air pollution on the health of children around the world, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. The report was released on the eve of the first WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health.
Based on this, the WHO recommends that health departments of various countries should take action as soon as possible to provide information, education and resources to health professionals, while actively participating in cross-sectoral policy making.
In terms of implementing policies to reduce air pollution, the WHO recommends that all countries should strive to meet the standards of the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines to enhance the health and safety of children. To achieve this goal, governments should take measures to reduce excessive reliance on fossil fuels in the global energy structure, invest in improving energy efficiency, and promote the use of renewable energy. Better waste management can reduce the amount of waste burned within communities, thereby reducing “community air pollution.” Clean technologies and fuels used specifically for household cooking, heating and lighting activities can significantly improve air quality in homes and surrounding communities.
