Air Pollution - Kanta Medicos

Air pollution is the world’s largest single environmental health risk.

Air pollution remains a significant global health concern, contributing to the premature deaths of approximately 7 million people annually. This environmental issue is responsible for a quarter of all deaths related to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Addressing air quality and reducing pollution levels are crucial steps in safeguarding public health and mitigating the impact of CVD worldwide.

Policies and investments aimed at promoting cleaner transport, energy-efficient homes, sustainable power generation, stringent industry regulations, access to clean fuels and technologies, and improved municipal waste management are crucial strategies for reducing key sources of air pollution. These measures not only help improve air quality but also contribute to public health by decreasing the prevalence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases associated with air pollution. By implementing such initiatives, societies can work towards creating cleaner and healthier environments for current and future generations.

Why Policy Brief On Air Pollution

Clean Air, Smart Cities, Healthy Hearts

The “Why Air Pollution” Policy Brief emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive policies and investments aimed at reducing air pollution across all levels of society. Key strategies include promoting cleaner transport systems, improving energy efficiency in homes, advancing sustainable methods of power generation, enforcing stringent industry regulations, ensuring access to clean fuels and technologies, and enhancing municipal waste management practices. These initiatives are vital for effectively mitigating the sources of air pollution and safeguarding public health worldwide.

Air pollution and its impact on public health have emerged as a major concern on the global agenda. Nine out of ten people worldwide are exposed to polluted air, with particularly severe consequences for those in low-resource settings. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than twenty percent of all deaths from cardiovascular diseases are attributed to air pollution, amounting to over 3.5 million deaths annually. Addressing this issue requires urgent action to reduce air pollution levels and protect the health of populations worldwide

7 million people die every year because of air pollution

50% of air pollution-related deaths are attributed to heart disease and stroke.

Air pollution contributes to 25% of all deaths related to cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Air pollution is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. In 2019, an estimated 6.7 million deaths, or 12 percent of all deaths worldwide, were attributable to outdoor or household air pollution. As many as half of these deaths were due to cardiovascular disease. Air pollution also increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory diseases.

"Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution was an issue of growing concern due to its impact on people’s health, although it was frequently overlooked as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. COVID-19 has brought a new, deadly factor to the equation, and the time has come for the health community to speak up and take action."

Common sources of air pollution cut across many sectors and include residential energy for cooking and heating, vehicles, power generation, agriculture/waste incineration, and industry. Exposure to smoke from cooking fires causes 3.8 million premature deaths each year, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. Burning fuels such as dung, wood, and coal in inefficient stoves or open hearths produces a variety of health-damaging pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), methane, carbon monoxide, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Burning kerosene in simple wick lamps also produces significant emissions of fine particles and other pollutants.

Air pollution is a complex and dynamic mixture of numerous compounds in gaseous and particle form, originating from diverse sources, subject to atmospheric transformation, and varying over space and time. Three common air pollutants, particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), are the focus of most monitoring programs, communication efforts, health impact assessments, and regulatory efforts.

Evidence for impacts on cardiovascular disease is most consistent for particulate matter, which contributes significantly to the disease burden through its effects on ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, COPD, lower respiratory infections, Type 2 diabetes, pregnancy outcomes, and related infant mortality. Ozone primarily exacerbates respiratory disease, including COPD incidence and mortality, and has metabolic effects. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) serves as an indicator of traffic-related air pollution. Chronic exposure to NO2 is linked to childhood asthma incidence, while short-term variability is associated with asthma exacerbations and increased daily mortality counts.

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The Major activity of Kanta Medicos is WholeSale and Export, Sub-classified into human health activities and provides thousands of prescription medications on both brand name and generic labels.

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The Major activity of Kanta Medicos is WholeSale and Export, Sub-classified into human health activities and provides thousands of prescription medications on both brand name and generic labels.