According to the State of Global Air 2020 report, air pollution killed 6.7 million people worldwide, including 476,000 newborns in 2019. According to the study, South Asia and the United States Sub-Saharan Africa are the areas most affected by air pollution.
6.7 million deaths worldwide in 2019 including 476,000 infants
According to the State of Global Air 2020 report, which uses data compiled by the US Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, air pollution caused 6.7 million deaths worldwide in 2019.
Of these, 476,000 are infants who died during their first month of life as a result of exposure to air pollution. The study, published on October 21, 2020, indicates that air pollution is the fourth leading cause of death in the world.
In the results of the study, we can read: ” Air pollution is linked to an increased risk of low birth weight and premature birth. Babies born too small or too early are more susceptible to health problems such as lower respiratory tract infections, diarrheal diseases, brain damage and inflammation, blood disorders and jaundice “.
Newborns in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa particularly affected
According to specialists, 64% of neonatal deaths attributable to air pollution worldwide are linked to domestic air pollution. Indeed, the study reveals that it is in regions where cooking with solid fuels is most widespread, that newborns are most affected by the harmful effects of air pollution.
The most affected regions are therefore sub-Saharan Africa, where 80% of the 236,000 newborns who died during the first month of life are attributable to indoor pollution and South Asia with, for example, more than 116,000 infants died in India in the first month of life due to air pollution.
According to Dan Greenbaum, president of the Health Effects Institute, “ Although there is a slow and steady reduction in the dependence of households on poor quality fuels, the resulting air pollution continues to be a key factor in the deaths of these young children. “.
