Air pollution caused 170K kids’ deaths in India in 2021: Report

Exposure to air pollution in young children is linked to pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infections responsible for one in five child (20%) deaths globally.

1. Nearly 170,000 children under the age of five years are estimated to have died in India due to air pollution in 2021, according to the State of Global Air report released on Wednesday.
2. Despite some progress, air pollution-related deaths among children under five years of age has remained high in several regions, particularly in South Asia and East, West, Central, and Southern Africa, according to the State of Global Air report, based on data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD 2021) by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
3. Exposure to air pollution in young children is linked to pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infections responsible for one in five child (20%) deaths globally, and asthma, the most common chronic respiratory disease in older children. The air pollution-linked death rate in children under the age of five in South Asia is 164 deaths for every 100,000 children, compared to a global average of 108 deaths/100,000, according to estimates.
4. In 2021, India (169,400 deaths), Nigeria (114,100 deaths), Pakistan (68,100 deaths), Ethiopia (31,100 deaths), and Bangladesh (19,100 deaths) saw the largest numbers of air pollution–related deaths among these children, the report said.
5. Health effects among children include premature birth, low birth weight, asthma and lung diseases. In 2021, exposure to air pollution was linked to more than 260,600 deaths of children under five years old, making it the second-leading risk factor for death in South Asia for this age group, after malnutrition.
6. Globally, air pollution from PM2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) and ozone was estimated to contribute to 8.1 million deaths – about 12% of the total global deaths in 2021. PM2.5 is the single-largest contributor to the air pollution disease burden worldwide, accounting for around 7.8 million deaths, or more than 90% of the total air pollution disease burden.
7. With populations more than 1 billion each, India (2.1 million deaths) and China (2.3 million deaths) together account for 54% of the total global disease burden. Other countries with high impacts include Pakistan (256,000 deaths), Myanmar (101,600 deaths), and Bangladesh (236,300 deaths) in South Asia.
8. “Overall, 2021 saw more deaths linked to air pollution than were estimated for any previous year, indicating the disease burden of air pollution has continued to rise,” the report concluded.
9. “Despite progress in maternal and child health, every day almost 2000 children under five years die because of health impacts linked to air pollution,” said Unicef deputy executive director Kitty van der Heijden said in a statement.
10. The report acknowledged that since 2000, the death rate linked to children under five has dropped by 53%, largely due to efforts aimed at expanding access to clean energy for cooking, as well as improvements in access to healthcare, nutrition, and better awareness about the harms associated with exposure to household air pollution.
11. The report, released today by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent US-based nonprofit research organisation, found air pollution accounted for overall 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021. This now makes air pollution the second-highest risk factor for death globally, putting it ahead of tobacco and poor diet. and after high blood pressure which is the largest risk factor.
12. In 2021, exposure to air pollution was linked to more than 700,000 deaths of children under five years old, making it the second-leading risk factor for death globally for this age group, after malnutrition.
13. “The data is staggering but not alarming. Most often the damage due to air pollution starts when children are in the womb. We know in Delhi for example, one in three children have asthma. Air pollution can lead to two issues among children – asthma which is non-communicable and the other is a high incidence of lung infections attributable to air pollution which leads to high mortality. Children have lungs that are smaller but they breathe faster. They are very vulnerable, like the elderly,” said Dr GC Khilnani, chairman, PSRI Institute of Pulmonary Critical Care and member of WHO expert group on global air pollution and health.

Sources:

• Air pollution caused 170K kids’ deaths in India in 2021: Report
• Heatwave key reason for high air pollution in city: Report
• Air pollution second biggest reason for deaths among young kids in South Asia: Study

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
• SDG 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
• SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of deaths among children under five years old due to air pollution
• Air pollution-related deaths per 100,000 children under five years old
• Total global deaths attributed to air pollution from PM2.5 and ozone

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: hindustantimes.com