Global expert Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Health at the World Health Organization (WHO), stated that the organization considers air pollution a major public health emergency, as over 7 million premature deaths occur annually due to exposure to air pollution worldwide, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In episode 66 of the "Science in Five" program, hosted by Fishta Gupta Smith and broadcasted on the WHO's official website and social media accounts, Dr. Neira highlighted that there is consensus that air pollution causes a significant public health issue. She explained that nine in ten people globally, especially those living in urban areas, breathe air that does not meet the WHO's quality guidelines for safe breathing.
She elaborated that for many years, it was commonly believed that most diseases related to air pollution were limited to the respiratory system. While this is largely true, as exposure to air pollution leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, lung cancer, and pneumonia, it has also been discovered that toxic particles reaching the lungs can enter the bloodstream and affect the cardiovascular system. This can lead to heart diseases, neurological disorders, strokes, and other neurological issues.
Dr. Neira indicated that there is currently more scientific evidence showing that long-term exposure to air pollution affects the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to any type of respiratory diseases. She pointed out that it is evident air pollution exacerbates COVID-19 cases and increases the risks of chronic diseases such as heart and lung diseases, metabolic disorders, and diabetes, all of which are termed "comorbidities," further raising the risk of severe COVID-19 cases.
She stressed that the best way to reduce air pollution is to stop burning fossil fuels, as this contributes to climate change and generates high levels of pollutants that eventually settle in human lungs. Thus, changing energy policies would be one of the most effective steps.
Dr. Neira called for global attention to be paid to taking measures to promote sustainable transportation, clean and modern use of energy sources, and all methods of consumption and recycling. Addressing this massive air pollution problem would significantly contribute to improving public health and protecting against diseases.
It is worth noting that the COVID-19 pandemic continued to decline this week, with cases dropping worldwide, though the number of confirmed cases may reflect only a fraction of the true count, and country comparisons may not be accurate due to significant differences in testing policies. While the Omicron variant saw a peak of daily cases four times greater than previous waves, the daily death toll remains very low compared to the record numbers seen in January 2021.
Since the end of December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has officially claimed over 5.78 million lives globally, with confirmed cases reaching 404 million.
