Pune: The World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Platform on Air Quality and Health recorded Pune’s Air Quality Index (AQI) of the PM 2.5 particles at 49 while it recorded Mumbai’s at 64 and Delhi’s at 143.
The WHO guidelines state that clean AQI is around 10. According to the WHO, around 17,95,181 deaths happen annually in India due to air pollution. Health experts note that exposure to pollutants in and around homes increases the risk of air pollution-related diseases, including acute lower respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
According to WHO, there is a close, quantitative relationship between exposure to high concentrations of small particulates (PM10 and PM2.5) and increased mortality or morbidity, both daily and over time. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said the polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives.
“This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfil their full potential. One reason why children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution is that they breathe more rapidly than adults and so absorb more pollutants. They also live close to the ground, where some pollutants reach peak concentrations - at a time when their brains and bodies are still developing,” said Dr Ghebreyesus.
According to a recent report by WHO, people living in low- and middle-income countries isproportionately experience the burden of outdoor air pollution with 91 per cent, which translates into 4.2 million premature deaths, occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
The WHO study also reveals that evidence demonstrating the linkages between ambient air pollution and cardiovascular disease risk is becoming available, including studies from highly polluted areas.
WHO estimates that in 2016, 58 per cent of outdoor air pollution-related premature deaths were due to ischaemic heart disease and strokes, while 18 per cent of deaths were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections respectively, and 6 per cent of deaths were due to lung cancer.
Every day around 93 per cent of the world’s children under the age of 15 years that is 1.8 billion children breathe air that is so polluted it puts their health and development at serious risk.
Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health at WHO, said, “Air pollution is stunting our children’s brains, affecting their health in more ways than we suspected. But there are many straightforward ways to reduce emissions of dangerous pollutants.”
“WHO is supporting the implementation of health-wise policy measures like accelerating the switch to clean cooking and heating fuels and technologies, promoting the use of cleaner transport, energy-efficient housing and urban planning. We are preparing the ground for low emission power generation, cleaner, safer industrial technologies and better municipal waste management, ” she added.
