WHO’s Landmark Report on Air Pollution and Child Health
On the threshold of its inaugural global conference on Air Pollution and Health (30 October 2018 – 1 November 2018), the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an eye-opening report titled ‘Air pollution and child health: prescribing clean air’. This crucial document provides a comprehensive summary of recent scientific insights into the relationship between air pollution exposure and its detrimental ramifications on children’s health. The objective is to educate and initiate individual and community-level actions by healthcare professionals to safeguard children’s health from the perils of air pollution.
Key Findings: The Impact of Air Pollution on Children
The report reveals startling data pertaining to air pollution and its effects on child health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as India. In 2016, about 98% of children under five years were exposed to air pollution resulting from fine particulate matters. Moreover, 1.8 billion children or approximately 93% of the world’s children below the age of 15, breathe polluted air daily, putting their growth and health at significant risk.
Air pollution is one of the top factors contributing to child health hazards, causing nearly 1 in every 10 fatalities in those under five years old.
The Scenario in India
India bears the brunt of the highest air pollution-related mortality and disease burden globally, with over 2 million premature deaths every year, making up 25% of the worldwide deaths attributed to poor air quality. Around 100,000 children under five years succumbed to complications caused by elevated outdoor and indoor air pollution levels in 2016.
| Country | Child Deaths Due to Air Pollution (2016) |
|---|---|
| India | 100,000 |
| Nigeria | 98,001 |
| Pakistan | Critical figures |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | High numbers |
| Ethiopia | Significant data |
Post India, Nigeria ranked second with 98,001 child deaths due to air pollution in 2016, trailed by Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.
Health Threats Posed by Air Pollution
Air pollution is proving lethal for children, impairing their cerebral development, causing serious diseases and infecting them with numerous health issues. In India, around 65% of households continue to use biomass fuel for cooking, contributing to a measurable increase in household air pollution and related issues among children.
Children exposed to high air pollution levels may face the risk of developing chronic ailments such as cardiovascular disease in their later years. Moreover, pregnant women residing in polluted environments are more susceptible to premature deliveries and low birth-weight infants.
The Vulnerability of Children to Air Pollution
Children are particularly prone to the effects of air pollution because they inhale faster than adults and thereby consume more pollutants. They also live closer to the ground where specific pollutants reach their highest concentrations, coinciding with their crucial brain and body development phase.
This heightened exposure to air pollution impairs neurological development and cognitive ability, negatively influences mental and motor development, triggers asthma and childhood cancer, and disrupts lung function even at lower exposure levels.
Suggested Measures for Improvement
The use of cleaner transport, energy-efficient housing, and urban planning can help mitigate air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter. Governments should reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote the use of renewable energy sources, facilitate better waste management to curtail ‘community air pollution,’ and ensure schools and playgrounds are not in close proximity to major pollution sources like busy roads, factories and power plants. Furthermore, shifting to cleaner cooking and heating fuels and technologies can drastically improve indoor air quality.