India Takes Top Spot In Deaths Due To Pollution: Study

In 2015, 2.5 million people died early because of pollution in India. Globally the total count of deaths due to pollution that year was 9 million, which is three time more than the deaths due to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

By Reuters

1 mins read

Published on October 21, 2017

Highlights

In India 2.5 million people died early because of pollution, says study
The study was conducted by The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health
China takes the second spot with 1.8 million deaths due to pollution

Pollution caused nine million deaths in 2015 - three times more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined - scientists said on Thursday, calling for governments in poor countries to act. India fared worst, with 2.5 million people dying early because of pollution, followed by China with 1.8 million deaths, according to The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, a two-year initiative seeking to highlight the issue. One in six of all deaths worldwide are caused by pollution, and the vast majority occur in developing countries, the report in The Lancet medical journal said. Also Read: Paris Plans Ban On Combustion-Engine Cars By 2030 "With globalisation, mining and manufacturing shifted to poorer countries, where environmental regulations and enforcement can be lax," said Karti Sandilya, one of the authors and an adviser to environmental group Pure Earth. "People in poorer countries - like construction workers in New Delhi - are more exposed to air pollution and less able to protect themselves from exposure, as they walk, bike or ride the bus to workplaces that may also be polluted." Also Read: NGT Refuses To Lift Ban On 10-Year-Old Diesel Vehicles In Delhi-NCR In contrast, many people in developed countries commute to air-conditioned offices in air-conditioned cars, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an email. Exposure to high levels of air pollution, especially over many years, can affect human respiratory and inflammatory systems, and can lead to heart disease, stoke and lung cancer. Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan And Hyundai Wishes A No Crackers Diwali Billions in developing countries cook on open fires with wood or coal, exposing people - mainly women and children - to dangerous fumes. But rapidly industrialising nations are worst affected and regulation could help to protect health as they develop, said the commission, which brings together more than 40 international health and environmental authors. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)