2023-09-29 08:00:23
According to the latest global air quality report published in August 2023, air pollution is the greatest external threat to human health globally. The harmful effects of pollution are major and multiple. Improving air quality is a major challenge for preserving human health in the years to come. Explanations.
Four countries that are world champions in air pollution
If atmospheric pollution, through the circulation of air masses around the globe, impacts the entire planet, certain regions are more polluted than others, with major risks for the health of populations. South Asia is home to the four most polluted countries in the world, even though these four countries alone account for a quarter of the world’s population:
- The Bangladesh
- India
- Nepal
- Pakistan
According to data and estimates, the level of pollution in these countries might reduce the life expectancy of populations by 5 years on average. An alarming figure, especially since the air is often not the only polluted element. Water and soil are also often polluted, also with serious consequences on health. Another continent also suffers from the consequences of air pollution, Africa, due to its high level of pollution, but also the recurring lack of infrastructure.
An essential international mobilization-
Faced with these challenges, the report highlights the lack of concerted actions to promote the development of infrastructure to improve air quality in Africa and Asia. However, air pollution represents a danger at least as great as other scourges, such as malaria or HIV/AIDS. Issues which have benefited from strong national and international mobilization for years. However, the fight once morest air pollution is possible. China is one of the illustrations. China’s pollution has decreased by more than 42% since 2013. Thanks to these efforts, Chinese people can expect to live 2.2 years longer than before, if air pollution remains contained. However, efforts must continue, since China still has pollution levels six times higher than the thresholds defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Europe and the USA, public health authorities are defining increasingly strict standards to reduce air pollution, but territorial inequalities remain. In the USA, the most polluted areas are in California, due to the impact of major forest fires in recent years. In Europe, the air is generally more polluted in the East than in the West, a difference which is reflected in life expectancy.
Improving air quality to extend life expectancy
Acting on air pollution makes it possible to act directly on life expectancy, proof of the multiple harmful impacts of air pollution. Just by reducing certain fine particles, it would be possible to increase human life expectancy by 2.3 years, or 17.8 billion years of life on the scale of the world population. The impact of these fine particles on health is revealed:
- Equivalent to the effects of smoking;
- More than three times greater than the effects of drinking alcohol or unsafe water;
- More than five times higher than the consequences of road accidents.
Such data demonstrates the urgency of raising awareness regarding the risks linked to air pollution and the absolute need to put in place measures to reduce it to protect populations from risks to their health.
Estelle B., Doctor of Pharmacy
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