Let’s breathe and move together for clean air
Photo:TAREQ SALAHUDDIN
Air pollution (both indoor and outdoor) is a major environmental health problem that increases the global burden of diseases like respiratory infections, heart disease, lung cancer and birth defects. Indoor air pollution is estimated to cause approximately 2 million premature deaths mostly in developing countries like Bangladesh. Urban outdoor air pollution is estimated to cause 1.3 million deaths worldwide per year. Experts urged for greater awareness of health risks caused by urban air pollution, implementation of effective policies and close monitoring of the situation to reduce global burden of diseases. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh is one of the cities where level of air pollution is alarming — six times higher than the recommended level of World Health Organisation (WHO). In a recent report from WHO reveals that annual mean PM10 (an indicator of measuring air quality) in Bangladesh is 120 per cubic metre (µg/m3) with a level of 134 µg/m3 in Dhaka and 71 µg/m3 in Chittagong. These are much higher than the WHO recommended maximum level of 20 µg/m3. PM10 particles, which are particles of 10 micrometers or less, which can penetrate into the lungs and may enter the bloodstream, can cause heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and acute lower respiratory infections. According to a World Bank report, air pollution kills 15,000 Bangladeshis each year. Two-stroke automobiles, industrial emissions and bad civic practices are some of the factors causing air pollution in Bangladesh. The lead content of dust in Dhaka is 10 times higher than that of standard level. The large number of children, street children, local streetwalkers and rickshaw pullers in Dhaka City are at particular risk from this air pollution. Numerous health hazards due to poor air quality are evident now. Nearly 50 percent of pneumonia deaths among children under five are due to particulate matter inhaled from indoor air pollution. In developing countries like Bangladesh, exposure to pollutants from indoor combustion of solid fuels on open fires or traditional stoves increases the risk of acute lower respiratory infections and associated mortality among young children. Indoor air pollution from solid fuel which is most common in rural Bangladesh is also a major risk Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a slowly progressing disease characterised by a gradual loss of lung function and lung cancer in adults. Indoor exposures to dampness, dust mites and fungal allergens may account for 20 percent of asthma prevalence. Air is essential to sustain life. But when it becomes polluted, it turns into a deadly weapon to kill lives, sicken human health. Let's breathe and move together for clean air.
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