The newspaper said 1.7 million deaths in the country were attributable to air pollution last year (Archive)
New Delhi:
The economic loss due to premature deaths and morbidity from air pollution was 2.60 billion rupees or 1.4 percent of GDP in India in 2019, according to a new scientific article.
He also said that 1.7 million deaths (18 percent of total deaths) in the country were attributable to air pollution last year.
According to the scientific paper on the health and economic impact of air pollution published in the Lancet Planetary Health on Tuesday, household air pollution decreased in India, resulting in a 64% reduction in the rate of mortality attributable to it from 1990 to 2019, while the mortality rate from Outdoor ambient air pollution increased during this period by 115%.
The results highlight that “the loss of production due to deaths and illnesses due to air pollution caused a loss of 1.4 percent of the country’s GDP.”
India has a good economic and development track record, which can be further improved by reducing air pollution, the scientific paper noted.
According to the document, the economic loss due to air pollution as a percentage of state GDP was highest in the northern and central states of India, with the highest being in Uttar Pradesh (2.2% of GDP) and Bihar (2 % of GDP). ).
NITI Aayog member Professor Vinod Paul said the scientific paper presents the latest evidence on air pollution in India, translating health loss into economic impact.
India has many important initiatives underway to reduce air pollution. This document provides a robust assessment of the trends and current situation in each state, and highlights that it would be useful to augment existing air pollution control efforts based on the specific situation of each state.
“Air pollution and its impact is not a matter exclusively for the health sector, and the solutions are found in a multisectoral approach with a common commitment to reduce exposure to toxic air, which is impacting the health and productivity of the indigenous people, “he said. .
ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said that various government schemes such as ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ and ‘Unnat Chulha Abhiyan’ have helped reduce household air pollution in the country.
That success encourages us to improve efforts to reduce outdoor air pollution as well, he said.
“The results of this analysis show that while 40% of the disease burden due to air pollution comes from lung disease, the remaining 60% comes from ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes and neonatal deaths related to preterm birth. , thus highlighting the broad impact of air pollution on human health, “added Mr. Bhargava.
(With the exception of the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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