SoGA 2024: Air pollution has emerged as a major global health crisis, claiming 8.1 million lives in 2021 and becoming the second leading cause of death globally, according to a newly released report from the Health Effects Institute (HEI). The fifth edition of the State of Global Air (SoGA) report highlights that air pollution now ranks just behind high blood pressure in terms of global mortality risk, ahead of tobacco use and poor diet.
The comprehensive report, which includes data for more than 200 countries and regions across the world, reveals that air pollution's health impacts are not only profound but pervasive, affecting virtually every individual worldwide. The study, produced in collaboration with UNICEF for the first time, underscores that air pollution is particularly detrimental to children under five, causing over 7 lakh deaths in this age group in 2021. Alarmingly, more than 5 lakh of these fatalities are linked to household air pollution, primarily from the use of polluting fuels for indoor cooking in Africa and Asia.
Air Pollution: A Global Health Emergency
The SoGA 2024 report, which utilises data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study, details the adverse health effects of pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), household air pollution, ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The findings indicate that over 90% of air pollution-related deaths are attributable to PM2.5, a particularly hazardous pollutant that penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, leading to chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“We hope our State of Global Air report provides both the information and the inspiration for change. Air pollution has enormous implications for health. We know that improving air quality and global public health is practical and achievable,” HEI president Dr Elena Craft said, emphasising the report's critical message.
Impact of Poor Air On Children’s Health
The report highlights that air pollution disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, particularly children. Exposure to polluted air in early childhood is linked to severe health issues such as premature birth, low birth weight, pneumonia, and asthma. The health disparity is stark, with children in low-income regions like East, West, Central, and Southern Africa experiencing air pollution-related death rates up to 100 times higher than those in high-income countries.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden stressed the urgent need for action, saying: “Despite progress in maternal and child health, every day almost 2000 children under five years die because of health impacts linked to air pollution. Our inaction is having profound effects on the next generation, with lifelong health and well-being impacts.”
Link To Climate Change
The report also draws connections between air pollution and climate change. PM2.5 pollutants primarily originate from the burning of fossil fuels and biomass, contributing to both air quality degradation and global warming. In 2021, long-term ozone exposure resulted in approximately 4.9 lakh deaths globally, with significant impacts in urban areas where high levels of nitrogen dioxide from traffic exhaust contribute to higher ozone levels.
Dr Pallavi Pant, HEI’s Head of Global Health, highlighted the urgent need for policy action. “This new report offers a stark reminder of the significant impacts air pollution has on human health, with far too much of the burden borne by young children, older populations, and low- and middle-income countries,” she said.
The SoGA report does offer some positive news, noting a 53% reduction in the death rate among children under five since 2000. This progress is attributed to efforts to improve access to clean energy for cooking and better healthcare, nutrition, and awareness of the dangers of household air pollution.
However, the fight against air pollution is far from over. The report calls for continued and intensified efforts, especially in regions most affected by air pollution, to implement air quality monitoring, stricter policies, and cleaner technologies.