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1·67 Million Air Pollution Related Deaths; Lancet Report On Economic Impact Of Air Pollution In India

In India, in 2019, 1·67 million deaths were attributable to air pollution which accounted for 17·8% of the total deaths in the country.

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Shivangi Thapa
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Lancet Report Air Pollution India

The India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative published a scientific paper recently on the health and economic impact of air pollution in Lancet Planetary Health. It documents the trends in health loss due to air pollution and its economic impact in every state of India using the latest improved methods and data.

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Here are 10 findings of the report.

  1. In India, in 2019, 1·67 million deaths were attributable to air pollution which accounted for 17·8% of the total deaths in the country.
  2. The majority of these deaths were from ambient particulate matter pollution (0·98 million) and household air pollution (0·61 million).
  3. The death rate due to household air pollution decreased by 64·2% from 1990 to 2019, while that due to ambient particulate matter pollution increased by 115·3% and that due to ambient ozone pollution increased by 139·2%.
  4. In India, in 2019, lost output from premature deaths accounted for economic losses of US$28·8 billion and due to morbidity accounted for $8·0 billion.
  5. The total loss of $36·8 billion was 1·36% of India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
  6. The economic loss as a proportion of the state GDP varied 3·2 times between the states, ranging from 0·67% to 2·15%.
  7. Economic loss was highest in the low per-capita GDP states of Uttar Pradesh (2.15%), Bihar (1.95%), Rajasthan (1.70%), Madhya Pradesh (1.55%), and Chhattisgarh (1.55%).
  8. In 2019, Delhi ($62.0) had the highest per-capita economic loss due to air pollution. It was followed by Haryana ($53.8), with 5·4 times variation across all states.
  9. The high burden of death and disease due to air pollution and its associated substantial adverse economic impact from loss of output could impede India's aspiration to be a $5 trillion economy by 2024.
  10. Successful reduction of air pollution in India through state-specific strategies would be beneficial for both the health of the population and the economy.

Shivangi Thapa is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv

Air Pollution lancet report Economic Impact In India
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