The eighth AQLI report released on Thursday, establishes a global warming link to air pollution – surprisingly in the United States and Canada. However, the global air pollution hotspot remains in South Asia. NEW DELHI – The latest data is out on how much air pollution is estimated to shorten lives, and New Delhi tops […] Continue reading ->
Delhi and other Indian cities should replace the one-size-fits-all air quality index (AQI) with a city-specific health index focused on premature death risks, a new study recommends. NEW DELHI – Almost three-quarters of the world’s top 100 most-polluted cities are in India, but does its widely used air quality index (AQI) adequately warn people of […] Continue reading ->
NEW DELHI – On 11 July, the Indian government changed its own rules, exempting most coal-fired power plants from installing technology to reduce sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. This reverses a key environmental policy launched in 2015 to cut SO2 emissions. It means that about 78% of India’s 537 or so thermal power plant units do […] Continue reading ->
NEW DELHI – When drivers entered fuel stations on 1 July, they found bright new warning signs and traffic police positioned at the fuel pumps. Old vehicles would be identified by special, new cameras and denied fuel. Drivers also risked having their vehicles seized for “liquidation.” The day marked the beginning of a widespread campaign […] Continue reading ->
New research shows how 310 premature deaths and 230 new children’s asthma cases can be prevented every day over the next 15 years if governments act against polluting vehicles and accelerate the move to electric vehicles. Pollution from fossil-fuel vehicles is most lethal for two age groups, those above the age of 65 and those under […] Continue reading ->
There’s an urgency to scale climate change solutions quickly, was the unofficial mantra at the World Health Summit, as delegates called for faster change and more funds. NEW DELHI – It doesn’t cost much to ensure that a mother does not deliver her baby by candlelight, increasing the chances of the newborn’s and mother’s survival. […] Continue reading ->
NEW DELHI – The theme was “Scaling Access to Ensure Health Equity”, but that hardly reflected the intense concerns raised at the first World Health Summit regional meeting with the storm of Trump administration’s cutbacks and closures of global health programmes since January. Traditional medicine, climate and health, data transparency, and the role of artificial […] Continue reading ->
Chad and Bangladesh ranked as the most polluted countries in 2024, while Delhi, India was the most polluted capital city, according to the 2024 World Air Quality report produced by the Swiss-based IQAir. But only seven countries worldwide met WHO air quality guidelines and Africa’s pollution levels remains under-reported. Pollution monitoring also fell victim to […] Continue reading ->
The health risks posed by air pollution in the 23 Asian countries sandwiched between Russia and Australia have been analysed together for the first time – and over 3.4 million deaths occurred in this area in 2021, representing 40% of global air pollution deaths. These countries include India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, excluding […] Continue reading ->
As Bangladesh presses for its former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to be extradited to face charges of human rights abuses, her daughter, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for South East Asia (SEARO), is also under scrutiny. Saima Wazed was elected to the WHO position by regional leaders in November 2023 amid allegations that […] Continue reading ->
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