NEWS – State of Global Air (SoGA) Report released by Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent U.S.-based nonprofit research organization in partnership with UNICEF

HIGHLIGHTS

• Purpose:
  • Provides analysis of data for air quality and health impacts globally
• Definition of Air Pollution:
  • A complex mixture including particles and various gases
  • Sources and compositions vary over space and time

Impact on Human Health:

• Second Leading Global Risk Factor for Death: Surpassed tobacco and diabetes, trailing only hypertension
• Noncommunicable Diseases:
  • Account for nearly 90% of the disease burden from air pollution
  • Includes heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Mortality Statistics:

• PM2.5 Particles:
  • Cause six out of ten deaths worldwide attributed to air pollution
• Other Pollutants:
  • Ozone: 38% of deaths
  • Household air pollution: 6% of deaths
• Global Deaths:
  • 8.1 million lives claimed worldwide in 2021 due to air pollution
  • India accounted for one in four of these deaths

Country-Specific Data:

• India and China:
  • Together account for 54% of the global disease burden from air pollution in 2021
  • Deaths due to air pollution:

• India: 21 lakh (2.1 million) deaths
• China: 23 lakh (2.3 million) deaths

Impact on Children:

• Children Under Five:
  • Over 700,000 deaths linked to air pollution (15% of all global deaths in this age group)
  • Lower respiratory infections (LRIs) are the leading cause of death
  • India recorded the highest number of deaths among children under five worldwide in 2021
  • Specific data for India:

• 1,69,400 deaths of children under five in 2021
• Around 464 children died every day due to diseases caused by air pollution

Specific Diseases and Conditions:

• Ozone-Related COPD Deaths in 2021:
  • India: Nearly 50% (2,37,000 deaths) of all ozone-related COPD deaths
  • China: 1,25,600 deaths
  • Bangladesh: 15,000 deaths