Almost 7 Million Deaths in 2019 Attributed to Air Pollution
In its second World Heart Report released in May, the World Heart Federation (WHF) highlights the effects of air pollution on cardiovascular health worldwide, with a focus on data from 2010 to 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Global average concentration levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) were at about 31.7 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter) in 2019, more than six times WHO’s 2021 recommended level of 5 µg/m3. However, PM2.5 concentrations have been trending lower by about 1% annually from about 35.3 µg/m3 in 2010.
In 2019, the three countries with the highest estimated annual average PM2.5 concentrations were Kuwait (64.1 µg/m3), Egypt (63.2 µg/m3), and Afghanistan (62.5 µg/m3). Meanwhile, the three countries with the lowest concentrations were the Bahamas (5.2 µg/m3), Finland (5.5 µg/m3), and Iceland (5.8 µg/m3).
Over 2 billion people worldwide rely on polluting fuels such as coal, crop waste, and charcoal for cooking.
In 2019, ambient air pollution caused 4.2 million deaths and over 100.4 million DALYs*. Of the 4.2 million deaths, almost half (1.9 million) were from ischemic heart disease (IHD), which stems from narrowed arteries. Another 900,000 deaths were due to stroke.
Meanwhile, household air pollution (such as from gas cooking) contributed to 3.2 million deaths, with 1 million from IHD and 700,000 from stroke.
The WHF report focused on five common respiratory-related illnesses— IHD, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute lower respiratory infections, and lung cancer.
Although the number of total deaths from these five causes increased from 2010 to 2019, the age-standardized mortality rate decreased globally from about 70.7 deaths per 100,000 people to about 59.7 deaths per 100,000 people.
To mitigate the harms of air pollution, WHF recommends nations agree to a global fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty and follow WHO guidelines to combat air pollution, such as avoiding tobacco use and indoor and outdoor smoke. It urges individuals to maintain a healthy weight and diet, exercise daily, and use helpful supplements and medications.
*Note: DALY = disability-adjusted life years. This represents the loss of the equivalent of one year of full health and is the sum of the years of life lost due to premature mortality and the years lived with a disability.
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