PHNOM PENH (ANN/THE PHNOM PENH POST) – Recent analysis from UNICEF highlights the shocking effects of polluted air on countless children, calling for urgent measures to safeguard their health and future. Referring to it as a “silent killer”, the UN agency reported that more than 100 daily fatalities of children below five are associated with air pollution in East Asia and the Pacific.
In a statement issued on February 6, the organisation highlighted that air pollution intensifies in several areas of the region during the dry season from now until April.
An analysis indicates that 500 million children in East Asia and the Pacific reside in nations experiencing unhealthy air pollution levels. At the household level, air pollution from solid fuels utilised for heating and cooking is associated with over half of all air pollution-related fatalities in children below five.
“Meanwhile, 325 million children live in countries where average annual particulate matter (PM2.5) levels exceed WHO guideline levels by more than five times, and 373 million live in countries with unhealthy levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂),” it said.
Moreover, 91 per cent – equating to 453 million – children in the area reside in nations where ozone pollution surpasses WHO recommended levels. Almost 50 per cent of the PM2.5 in nations with the greatest concentrations of this pollutant originated from the combustion of fossil fuel, biomass fuel and agriculture waste, which likewise produce the greenhouse gases fueling climate change.
Air pollution leads to almost one in four fatalities among children below five in East Asia and the Pacific, impacting their health from the moment they are born. It raises the chances of early delivery, asthma, lung harm and developmental setbacks, particularly for kids from low-income households. It also plays a role in long-term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
It also leads to economic effects. The World Bank reports that in 2019, PM2.5 air pollution caused premature deaths and health issues that resulted in East Asia and the Pacific incurring costs of 9.3 per cent of its GDP, which exceeds USD2.5 trillion.
“Governments must lead by strengthening climate and environmental policies, transitioning to clean energy and enforcing WHO-aligned air quality standards to protect children’s health,” it suggested, noting that businesses ought to embrace clean technologies, lower emissions and confirm that their practices and products focus on the safety and welfare of children.
“The health sector should take measures to improve detection and treatment, and adopt sustainable, net-zero operations,” it stated, calling on parents and educators to contribute to awareness-raising, support cleaner environments and enable youth to engage in action.
The UNICEF statement added that, “UNICEF is partnering with governments, businesses, health systems, and communities across East Asia and the Pacific to protect children from the devastating effects of air pollution.”
