Thursday 2 January 2020

India and China lead the way in most pollution related deaths – USA in top ten

According to the GAHP pollution remains the world’s largest environmental threat to human health, responsible in 2017 for 15% of all deaths globally, and 275 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years.

The 2019 report, it says, underscores the extent and severity of harm caused by air, water, and occupational pollution.

Richard Fuller, Chair of the GAHP Board of Directors, said: “In order to tackle pollution, we must prioritise it as an issue that affects us all, integrating it into health planning, and increasing funding to allow more research into pollution, such as monitoring pollution and its effects, and developing ways to control pollution. Pollution prevention can be highly cost-effective – helping to improve health and reduce climate impacts, while boosting economies,”

The top ten countries with the most pollution deaths include both the world's largest and wealthiest nations, and some of its poorer ones. India and China lead in the number of pollution deaths, with about 2.3 million and 1.8 million deaths respectively.

The United States, the world's third most populous country with 325 million people, makes the top ten list with 197,000 pollution-related deaths, while ranking 132nd in the number of deaths per 100,000 people.

Smaller countries dominate the deaths per 100,000 people table. Top of the list is Chad, followed by the Central African Republic and North Korea.

Ambient air pollution kills more people around the globe than any other form of pollution. In the United States — which has invested in air, water and soil cleanup through the EPA’s Superfund program — ambient air pollution was responsible for more than half of the pollution-related deaths in 2017.

Rachael Kupka, acting Executive Director of GAHP, said: ‘The report reminds us all that pollution is a global crisis. It does not matter where you live. Pollution will find you.”