WEB Desk: A new Lancet study has linked heart and respiratory diseases to deaths caused by air pollution caused by wildfires and controlled burning of cropland. China, India, Nigeria and Indonesia are the worst affected countries.
Air pollution from fires is linked to more than 1.5 million deaths each year around the world, according to an article published Thursday in the medical journal The Lancet.
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The countries with the highest death tolls linked to fire-related air pollution are China, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia and Nigeria.
According to the newspaper, the death toll is expected to increase in the coming years as climate change leads to more frequent and intense wildfires. Fires linked to heart and respiratory problems
During the 2000-2019 period examined, researchers recorded 450,000 annual deaths related to heart problems linked to air pollution.
An additional 220,000 deaths are attributed to respiratory illnesses related to smoke and burning particles emitted into the air.
According to the study, more than 90% of the 1.53 million deaths caused by air pollution were in low- or middle-income countries. Nearly 40% of them are in sub-Saharan Africa. ‘Urgent action needed’
The study’s authors called for “urgent action” to confront the problem of pollution-related deaths and highlighted the “climate injustice” suffered by poorer countries.
Last week, wealthier countries at the United Nations COP29 climate conference agreed to provide climate finance worth $300 billion a year by 2035, far below expectations of developing countries. develop.
Also in November, research from Germany’s University of Bonn and Brazil’s Federal University of Minas Gerais found that policies to prevent deforestation in the Amazon lead to better health outcomes. Fire and dust crisis
South Asia was engulfed by toxic smog earlier this month, causing widespread flight delays and forcing schools in and around the Indian capital New Delhi to close.
Officials blame the pollution on seasonal crop burning, vehicle emissions and industrial activity.
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Last week, the Ecuadorian government declared a 60-day national emergency due to forest fires.
The Andean country is struggling with 13 ongoing wildfires and severe drought, officials said.