Accordingly, air pollution caused the death of 1.67 million Indians in 2019. Of which, more than 100,000 of these were infants under 1 month old.
Research conducted by the Health Effect Institute (HEI) – a US-based non-governmental organization showed, more than half of the PM2.5 dust-related deaths originated from social activities. Other deaths resulted from the use of solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, and animal waste during home cooking.
Long-term exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution has caused many diseases in India such as stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
In addition, scientists also point to clear evidence linking air pollution with an increase in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. This also means, air pollution can worsen Covid-19 symptoms. Air pollution also has a strong impact on the health and life of babies.
Scientists point to a lot of evidence that exposure to polluted air results in low birth weight and premature births. Analysis in the Global Air Situation Report shows that nearly 21% of all neonatal deaths from all causes are caused by air pollution in the surroundings and within the home.
Also according to this report, in 2019, South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal are among the top 10 most exposed countries to PM2.5 fine dust.