🌍 Hey guys, did you know? A recent study has revealed that every day, 2,000 children worldwide die due to air pollution-related illnesses. In 2021 alone, air pollution claimed the lives of 8.1 million people! This study was conducted by the Health Effects Institute in the USA. Shockingly, air pollution ranks just behind high blood pressure as a leading cause of death, surpassing even tobacco and malnutrition.
The study highlights that air pollution has a significant impact on children. Collaborating with UNICEF, the Health Effects Institute released this annual report which found that around 700,000 children under the age of five died due to air pollution. Among these, the main cause of death for 500,000 children was the use of coal, wood, and dung as cooking fuel in homes.
According to the study, nearly everyone in the world is exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution. About 90% of air pollution-related deaths are caused by fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5. These tiny particles can lead to lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other health issues. The real situation is even more severe than reported. Ozone pollution, worsened by climate change, killed over 500,000 people in 2021. Interestingly, solutions to climate change and air pollution overlap, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists also urge reducing the use of harmful cooking fuels. China, for example, has made significant progress in this area.
Currently, around 2 billion people globally cook with basic stoves or open flames, inhaling dangerous fumes. However, with the introduction of better stoves and fuels, child deaths have halved since 2020. The Health Effects Institute based its report on the study of conditions in nearly 200 countries. The International Energy Agency recently mentioned that world nations have allocated $2.2 billion to eliminate hazardous cooking methods.
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