Pollution kills! We are all aware of that. But did you know
that more than 8.3 million people die around the world, each year as a result
of air pollution? In fact, pollution kills three times as many people a year
as it does from various diseases like HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.
It also said to kill 15 times as many people annually as war and other forms of
violence.
These findings were released in the latest analysis by
Global Alliance on Health and Pollution. Their report stated that at least 90%
of premature deaths from pollution occur in low and middle-income countries.
India and China were named as the most polluted countries
with 2,326,711 and 1,865,566 pollution-related deaths per year. Nigeria ranked
in the third position while Indonesia and Pakistan following close behind. The United
States of America is also a part of the top 10 list of polluted countries with
around 200,000 deaths per year.
The report also found that the pollution-causing deaths were
not only a problem in industrial cities but also in middle to low-income
countries where the supply of clean indoor air is limited due to poor and contaminated
sanitation.
