Thousands Of Kids Are Dying Due To Air Pollution In India - When Will We Pay Heed?

As air pollution remains a serious cause of concern across the country, children are uniquely susceptible to the harmful effects of air pollution due to their developing bodies and higher relative intake of air compared to adults. According to the State of Global Air report, nearly 170,000 children under the age of five in India succumbed to air pollution-related causes in 2021.

The Burden of Air Pollution on Children

The State of Global Air report, utilizing data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD 2021) by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, highlights that air pollution remains a leading cause of death among children under five years old in South Asia, including India.

In 2021, air pollution was linked to more than 260,600 deaths among children under the age of five. The same year also witnessed an air pollution-linked death rate for children under five in South Asia was 164 deaths per 100,000 children, significantly higher than the global average of 108 deaths per 100,000. The most severely affected countries included India, Nigeria (114,100 deaths), Pakistan (68,100 deaths), Ethiopia (31,100 deaths), and Bangladesh (19,100 deaths), with India alone reporting 169,400 deaths among this vulnerable age group.

Health Consequences of Air Pollution

Exposure to air pollution in children is primarily linked to pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections, responsible for one in five child deaths globally. Additionally, air pollution aggravates asthma, the most prevalent chronic respiratory disease in older children. The report also notes that the damage from air pollution can begin in the womb, leading to premature births, low birth weights, and long-term health issues.

“Children are uniquely vulnerable to air pollution and the damage from air pollution can start in the womb with health effects that can last a lifetime. For example, children inhale more air per kilogram of body weight and absorb more pollutants relative to adults while their lungs, bodies and brains are still developing,” the report clamied.

PM2.5: The Major Culprit

Globally, air pollution from PM2.5 (fine, respirable particulate matter) and ozone was estimated to contribute to 8.1 million deaths in 2021, accounting for 12% of total global deaths. PM2.5 is the largest contributor to the air pollution disease burden, responsible for approximately 7.8 million deaths worldwide. India and China, with populations exceeding 1 billion each, together accounted for 54% of the global disease burden from air pollution.

Despite advancements in healthcare and efforts to reduce exposure to household air pollution, 2021 saw the highest number of deaths linked to air pollution on record. 

“Overall, 2021 saw more deaths linked to air pollution than were estimated for any previous year, indicating the disease burden of air pollution has continued to rise,” the report concluded.

Delhi Primary Schools Closed Due To Air Pollution

Previously, in 2022, in an announcement, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared that primary schools in the capital would be closed starting tomorrow.

The Chief Minister declared that Delhi is currently facing severe air pollution and it only becomes essential to shut primary schools to safeguard children. He further stated that they are currently contemplating the odd-even scheme shortly.

The capital's air quality index remains in a severe category consecutively and this has generated an alarming cause of concern for the vast population residing in the city, especially children. 

The data released by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) in November 2022 reveals that Delhi remains in the severe category for the second day now. The official data disclosed that the stubble burning in Punjab also contributed (approximately 34 per cent) to the already high air pollution of 2.5 in Delhi.

The Delhi CM addressed a press conference alongside Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann when he made the announcement. He declared that while primary schools and classes will remain closed starting Saturday, all outdoor activities for classes V to VIII will be restricted. These instructions are to be followed across schools in the city until further announcement. "Primary schools will be closed from Saturday in the city and we are contemplating the odd-even scheme. We are also closing all outdoor sports activities for students of V-VIII classes in schools until air quality improves," he said in a statement.

CM Kejriwal further added that instead of laying focus on the blame game and politics, it's important to sort out the issue of rising pollution so the children and the population at large don't suffer in the long run.

Global and Local Responses

Kitty van der Heijden, UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director, stressed the critical need for immediate and effective action to address this crisis. "Our inaction is having profound effects on the next generation, with lifelong health and wellbeing impacts," she stated, calling for governments and businesses to use data to inform meaningful, child-focused actions to reduce air pollution.

The report acknowledges significant progress since 2000, with a 53% reduction in the death rate among children under five due to improved access to clean cooking energy, healthcare, and increased awareness of household air pollution's dangers. However, the persistent and rising mortality rates linked to air pollution highlight the need for sustained and intensified efforts.

However, the report addresses the death rate among children under the age of five has decreased by 53% since 2000, owing primarily to efforts to increase access to clean energy for cooking, as well as improvements in access to healthcare, nutrition, and increased awareness of the risks associated with household air pollution exposure.

The Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent US-based nonprofit research organisation, presented a paper today that revealed air pollution was responsible for 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021. This currently ranks air pollution as the second-highest risk factor for death worldwide, ahead of tobacco and a poor diet, and after high blood pressure, which is the leading risk factor.

In 2021, air pollution has been linked to more than 700,000 deaths among children under the age of five, making it the second-leading risk factor for death in this age group behind malnutrition.