More than 116,000 babies in India died within a month after birth due to exposure to severe air pollution in 2019, according to the State of Global Air 2020 report. The US-based Health Effects Institute and Global Burden of Disease The US released the first such report on Wednesday looking at the impact of high air pollution on children’s health. The report said that India had the highest burden of child deaths due to air pollution followed by Nigeria (67,900), Pakistan (56,500), Ethiopia (22,900) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1,200).
Also Read: India Recorded the Highest Exposure to Air Pollution Globally in 2019: Report
It is based on a growing body of research and evidence suggesting that mothers’ exposure to polluted air during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk for babies weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth or those born before 37 weeks of age. gestation, instead of 38 to 40 weeks. . Low weight and premature birth are linked to an increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, other serious infections, as well as brain damage and blood disorders, jaundice that can be potentially fatal.
“Although the biological reasons for this link are not fully understood, it is believed that air pollution can affect a pregnant woman, her developing fetus, or both through pathways similar to smoking, which is a risk factor. well known birth weight and preterm delivery, ”the report said.
Kalpana Balakrishnan, director of the Center for Advanced Research on Air Quality, Climate and Health at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said that around 116,000 child deaths can be prevented if air quality meets World Organization standards. Of the health. “This is how the attributable burden is identified. But the number seems large because population risks are often not discernible because they have minimal risk at the individual level. For example, smoking, anemia, or maternal nutrition are individual risks that can be addressed at the individual level. But when it comes to air pollution, a very large population is at risk due to high overall exposure. India also has an underlying prevalence of low birth weight, which also makes the risk pronounced. “
Balakrishnan said that evidence from more than 70 studies, including the one from ICMR in India, shows that exposures to household and ambient air pollution are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. “India has a long history of addressing multiple risk factors that contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including maternal nutrition, anemia, access to prenatal care, to name a few.”
Balakrishnan said recent evidence shows that air pollution must be included alongside these risk factors to address the burden of low birth weight and premature births. Clean energy initiatives for the home offer some short-term strategic opportunities that can target these vulnerable groups, Balakrishnan added. “The results of ongoing randomized controlled trials in India are expected to strengthen the case for such interventions.”
Balakrishnan said that addressing the impacts of air pollution on adverse pregnancy outcomes and newborn health is important for low- and middle-income countries. “…[it is] not only because of the high prevalence of low birth weight deficits, premature birth and infant growth, but because it allows the design of strategic interventions that can be directed at these vulnerable groups ”.
Of all neonatal deaths attributable to air pollution globally, household air pollution accounted for about 64% of them. The rest was due to outdoor air pollution. The highest percentage of deaths attributable to household air pollution (80%) was estimated to be in the sub-Saharan region. The lowest was in high-income regions (less than 2%).
World map of age-standardized death rates attributable to PM2.5 in 2019. (Source)
Long-term exposure to outdoor and domestic air pollution contributed to more than 1.67 million deaths annually from stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic lung diseases and neonatal diseases in India last year, making air pollution the biggest risk factor for death among all health risks.
Deaths attributable to particulate matter in 2019 among babies in their fifth month of life in the GBD Super Regions. (Originally)
Based on the experience of the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak between 2002 and 2004, the report said that air pollution could lead to a higher number of Covid-19 infections and deaths.
Pallavi Pant, a scientist at the Health Effects Institute, said the evidence for the link between air pollution and Covid-19 is growing rapidly. “It is clear that prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause many of the health conditions associated with increased vulnerability to Covid-19, such as diabetes and chronic heart and lung disease. Evidence increasingly suggests that people living in areas with high air pollution are likely to experience more severe results from Covid 19, ”Pant said. “Even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, India was bearing a heavy burden of chronic respiratory diseases and other diseases, and India has also experienced high exposures for a long time. Exposure to air pollution has been shown to affect the human body’s immune defense, making an individual more susceptible to respiratory infections such as pneumonia. “
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