Study reveals 1.4% GDP loss due to air pollution led deaths and diseases in 2019
Last updated on December 24th, 2020 at 04:40 am
GDP Loss: In 2019, India witnessed as many as 1.7 million deaths due to air pollution, which is 18% of the total deaths. The health loss led economic impact was substantial due to productivity loss, equating to 1.4% GDP loss in 2019. According to the new study, this is equivalent to INR 260,000 crore.
On Tuesday, a scientific paper was published by India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative in Lancet Planetary Health. The paper throws light on the impact air pollution had on health and economy. The findings highlight the disease bulk due to air pollution is reducing at household level but increasing outdoor.
The GDP loss due to air pollution in 2019 was greater in central and northern states of the country. Highest was recorded in Uttar Pradesh as 2.25 of GDP, followed by Bihar at 2% of GDP.
Prof Lalit Dandona, Director of the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative, National Chair of Population Health at ICMR, Professor at PHFI said, “Besides a roughly estimated expenditure of 0.4 per cent of the GDP on treatment of air pollution-related diseases, the health and economic impact of air pollution is highest in the less developed states of India, an inequity that should be addressed.”
Prof Balram Bhargava, Director General at ICMR said that the disease burden due to air pollution constitutes 40% as lung diseases and remaining 60% as stroke, diabetes, Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) and also neonatal deaths linked to preterm birth. This highlights large spectrum of impact air pollution has on health.
The report is part of the Global Burden of Disease Study that was published in 2019. The analytical methods of study include various factors inclusion like sexes, geographies, and age groups.
In India, household air pollution led death rate has reduced by 64% from 1990 to 2019. But, the same due to outdoor ambient air pollution has skyrocketed in the same period by 115%.
