In the News
October 21, 2020
The country saw a total of 173,500 deaths in 2019 due to air pollution, which is over 50,000 more than the year 2017, said a global report on air pollution related to health burden. In 2017, the death toll was 123,000 in the country.
The US-based Health Effects Institute and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation jointly published the report on Wednesday titled “State of Global Air 2020” under the global burden of disease project.
Bangladesh is ninth among the top 10 countries with the highest level of outdoor Ambient Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) which is very small at 2.5 micrometres in diameter or less, produced by all types of combustion common in urban and rural places.
PM 2.5, which is capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract and causing severe health damage, accounted for 74,000 deaths in Bangladesh. Household air pollution from solid fuel accounted for 94,800 deaths while the rest of the deaths are due to ozone exposure.
…
Air pollution, especially the presence of particulate matter in the air, is shortening the life expectancy of Bangladeshis by seven years on average, a study done by Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago said on July 28.