A recent report unveils alarming trends in air quality in Bangladesh and around the globe, posing severe health risks.
According to the 2024 State of Global Air (SoGA) report by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) in collaboration with UNICEF, South Asia, along with regions in Africa, experience the highest disease burden linked to air pollution. In 2021 alone, air pollution contributed to over 235,000 deaths in Bangladesh, underscoring a major public health crisis.
The report highlights that children under five are particularly vulnerable, facing health issues like premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, and lung diseases. In Bangladesh and other countries in Africa and Asia, over 40% of all deaths from lower-respiratory-tract infections in children under five are attributed to air pollution. In 2021, Bangladesh recorded over 19,000 deaths of children under five due to air pollution-related conditions.
Globally, air pollution was linked to more than 700,000 deaths of children under five in 2021, making it the second-leading risk factor for death in this age group after malnutrition. A significant portion of these deaths, approximately 500,000, were due to household air pollution from indoor cooking with polluting fuels, predominantly in Africa and Asia.
Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, stressed the urgent need for action, stating, “The health of millions, particularly children, is at stake. Children are the most vulnerable to poor air quality, suffering from diseases such as asthma and pneumonia. It is critical that we implement sustainable solutions to improve air quality, not just for the health of our children today, but for future generations.”
The report also noted significant ozone exposure in Bangladesh, contributing to air pollution-related diseases. In 2021, nearly 50% of all ozone-related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) deaths globally occurred in India (237,000 deaths), followed by China (125,600 deaths) and Bangladesh (15,000 deaths).
Children are uniquely vulnerable to air pollution, with damage starting in the womb and potentially lasting a lifetime. They inhale more air per kilogram of body weight and absorb more pollutants than adults while their lungs, bodies, and brains are still developing.
The burden of air pollution-related diseases is unevenly distributed worldwide. While the global average contribution of air pollution to ischemic heart disease is 28%, it ranges from less than 10% in high-income countries like Finland, Norway, Australia, and Canada to more than 40% in countries in East, West, Central, and Southern Africa, and South Asia, including Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and Bangladesh.
This year’s SoGA report serves as a stark reminder of the health implications of air pollution and the urgent need for concerted efforts to address this global health crisis. As countries worldwide strive to enhance public health policies, Bangladesh faces a crucial challenge in tackling air pollution to protect the health of its population, especially its younger generations.
