Good news — pollution can be eliminated
“The vast majority of the pollution deaths occur in poorer nations and in some, such as India, Chad and Madagascar, pollution causes a quarter of all deaths,” according to the report. “The international researchers said this burden is a hugely expensive drag on developing economies.”
Philip Landrigan, co-leader of the commission, said the 9 million deaths a year from pollution is “pushing the envelope on the amount of pollution the Earth can carry,” The Guardian reported. Air pollution deaths in Southeast Asia are on track to double by 2050, he added.
The commission report combined data from the World Health Organization and other sources to determine that air pollution is the biggest killer, leading to heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and other illnesses. Outdoor air pollution, caused by vehicles and industry, is blamed for 4.5 million deaths annually and indoor air pollution, from wood and dung stoves, is linked to 2.9 million deaths.
Water pollution, often contaminated by sewage, is linked to 1.8 million deaths from gastrointestinal diseases and parasitic infections. Another 800,000 deaths are tied to workplace pollution, including exposure to toxins, carcinogens and secondhand tobacco smoke, coal-related diseases and bladder cancer in dye workers.
Amid the gloom, the report highlights some good news — much of the pollution can be eliminated. It noted that high-income and some middle-income countries have produced laws and regulations mandating clean air and clean water, established chemical safety policies and curbed the most flagrant forms of pollution.
To tackle the pollution problem, the study offers six recommendations, including making pollution prevention a “high priority nationally and internationally” and integrating it into country and city planning processes.
It also recommends increasing and focusing the funding and the international technical support dedicated to pollution control and establishing systems to monitor pollution and its effects on health.