Researchers warn: 1 in 3 people worldwide are breathing air pollution at home!
Household air pollution still kills millions of people each year, even though exposure levels are falling worldwide, a new study has found.
In 2021, indoor air pollution, which occurs when people cook over open fires or stoves fueled by kerosene, coal, wood, crop residues or animal manure, contributed to 3.1 million deaths worldwide, with most deaths in lower-income countries, according to the analysis published in the medical journal The Lancet.
Indoor air pollution contains tiny particles that can enter the bloodstream through the lungs. It is linked to a range of health issues, including lung cancer, stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), respiratory infections, cataracts and neonatal disorders.
It can also have deadly consequences for children, contributing to more than 500,000 deaths among children under the age of 5 in 2021, according to the study. That's about 11 percent of all under-5 mortality.
"The high level of pediatric burden estimated in this study is a major cause for concern," said the study authors from the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). They added that the health effects could be "fatal and long-lasting and have not received adequate attention from researchers and policymakers . "
Between 1990 and 2021, the proportion of people exposed to indoor air pollution from solid cooking fuels fell worldwide from 56.7 percent to 33.8 percent, the estimates show. But the actual number of people exposed fell by only 10 percent, or about 350 million people, to 2.67 billion people exposed in 2021.
This is due to population growth in countries like Sub-Saharan Africa, where 78.8 percent of people were exposed to indoor air pollution from solid cooking fuels, the study authors said.
Between 1990 and 2021, the number of pollution-related deaths rose from 685,000 to 741,000 in the region, IHME said. South Asia had the next highest rate, with 53.2 percent of people exposed in 2021.
Meanwhile, in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, this rate was 7.5 percent. In high-income countries, it was just 0.4 percent.
The researchers said the results underscore the importance of helping “resource-poor communities” transition to cleaner energy sources. This could include research and development for new technologies, subsidizing clean energy equipment, enforcing emissions limits, encouraging private sector investment and public awareness campaigns.
"Such initiatives are essential for mitigating health risks and promoting sustainable development, ultimately improving the quality of life and health outcomes for millions of people ," the study authors said.
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