Janet Ogundepo A comprehensive analysis of air quality and health impact data for countries worldwide in 2021 by the State of Global Air, published in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund, reports that air pollution is now the second leading global risk factor for premature death. The fifth edition of the report, released by the Health Effects Institute, further revealed that air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021, leaving millions of people with debilitating chronic diseases.
It further found out that children, especially those under the age of five are vulnerable to air pollution, and that it was responsible for over 700,000 child deaths in 2021. The SoGA report also found that of the total deaths, non-communicable diseases including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease account for nearly 90 per cent of the disease burden. According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution is the contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that changes the natural characteristics of the atmosphere and affects human health.
Air pollution deprives humans of access to clean air, which is fundamental to human health. Common sources of air pollution are motor vehicles, household combustion materials, industrial facilities and forest fires. The WHO also states that cardiovascular diseases, such as ischaemic heart disease and stroke, are the leading caus.