Asthma, diabetes, death … A pulmonologist is alarmed by the ravages of air pollution

Seven million people die every year in the world because of air pollution. India, which concentrates 14 of the most polluted cities on the planet, is hit hard by this scourge.

On the occasion of the first ever WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, Deepak Choudhary, a New Delhi pulmonologist, deplores "more cases of asthma" among people under 15 and "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" in people over 60 years of age. "There are more cases of diabetes, heart disease, and there are more cases of neurological disorders, brain diseases," says the Indian doctor on France Info, who works at the National Heart Institute.

"Improve public transport"

He continues: "The people who govern this city must wake up, must take preventive measures, such as improving public transport, so that people do not need to use their personal vehicles so important."

Published the day before the international conference, a new report by the WHO (Prescribing clean air) also reveals that when pregnant women are exposed to polluted air, they are more likely to give birth prematurely, and give birth to newborns. born of low weight.

600,000 dead children

Air pollution also has implications for neurodevelopment and cognitive abilities, and can lead to asthma and some childhood cancers. Children who have been exposed to high levels of air pollution may be at high risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease later in life. In 2016, 600,000 children died of acute lower respiratory tract infections due to air pollution.

"Air pollution poisons millions of children and destroys their lives," says Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "It's inexcusable, every child must be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and flourish fully." On the other hand, Toulouse researchers have just proved the absence of a link between pollution and Alzheimer's disease.