Outdoor air pollution responsible for 6% of disease burden in 2016: Report

A man covers his face as he walks to work in Delhi. (Reuters Photo)

New Delhi: As Delhi-NCR grapples with the hazardous air quality, a report on Tuesday revealed that outdoor air pollution caused six percent of the total disease burden in 2016.

According to the report, titled 'India State-level Disease Burden' and released by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu here, indoor air pollution also caused five percent of the disease burden last year.

Air pollution in India is turning out to be a downright menace with pollutants in the air becoming more and more aggressive with each passing day.

As the national capital region witnesses an increased toxicity in the air, it is gradually enlarging the radar of threat upon the population.

Even after the World Health Organisation (WHO) sounding many alerts and health experts giving away numerous tips and tricks to curb health issues, air pollution has continued to become an obstacle in people's health.

"The contribution of air pollution to disease burden remained high in India between 1990 and 2016, with levels of exposure among the highest in the world.

"It causes burden through a mix of non-communicable and infectious diseases, mainly cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and lower respiratory infections," said the report.

It said that the burden of household air pollution decreased between 1990 and 2016 due to decreasing use of solid fuels for cooking, and that of outdoor air pollution increased due to a variety of pollutants from power production, industry, vehicles, construction and waste burning.

The burden due to household air pollution is highest in the Empowered Action Group states – that receive special development attention from the government – where its improvement since 1990 has also been the slowest.

On the other hand, the burden due to outdoor air pollution is highest in a mix of northern states, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar and West Bengal.

Calling for immediate measures, the report says that control of air pollution has to be ramped up through inter-sectoral collaborations based on the specific situation of each state.

(With IANS inputs)