By Juliet Jacob Ochenje
Air Pollution from forest fires to smog hanging over cities and smoke inside the home have led to about 7 million premature deaths, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed.
It added that these constitute a climate emergency that threatens human health and the planet.
WHO, in a statement, explained that “household air pollution is the presence of one or more contaminants in the atmosphere, such as dust, fumes, gas, mist, odour, smoke or vapor, in quantities and duration that can be injurious to human health.”
It added that these pollutants lead to inflammation, oxidative stress, immunosuppression and mutagenicity in body cells, impacting the lungs, heart, brain among other organs and ultimately leading to diseases.
Some of the diseases most strongly linked with exposure to air pollution, the health organisation added, are stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lungs cancer, pneumonia, cataract. Children, elderly and pregnant women are more susceptible to these air pollution related diseases, though genetics, comorbidities, nutrition and sociodemographic factors also impact a person’s susceptibility.
Speaking on the effect of maternal exposure to air pollution, the organisation listed adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, pre-term birth and small for gestational age births, reduced lung growth and function respiratory infections such as aggravated asthma.
