Air pollution causes 42K deaths in Nepal every year

KATHMANDU: Every year, air pollution claims around 42,000 lives in Nepal, with 21% of deaths occurring among children under five, according to Dr. Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population.

Dr. Budhathoki highlighted that air pollution contributes to respiratory diseases, heart ailments, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and cognitive decline.

Children are especially vulnerable, facing risks such as respiratory issues, heart problems, slower brain development, abnormal behavior, malnutrition, low birth weight, anemia, infertility, gestational diabetes, and mental health disorders.

Nepal’s air pollution levels are eight times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, with Thursday’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 185.

WHO recommends that annual particulate matter (PM2.5) levels should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter to avoid respiratory damage.

Air quality is categorized as follows: 0–50 healthy, 51–100 caution, 101–150 harmful to vulnerable groups, and 151+ unhealthy.

Reducing pollution to WHO standards could potentially increase life expectancy in Nepal by 3.3 years.

Globally, air pollution causes 7.9 million deaths annually, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries.

In Nepal, key sources include vehicle emissions, industrial discharge, open burning of waste, construction dust, forest fires, and pesticide use.