In an era of climate change driving extreme weather patterns, natural disasters seem to be becoming the norm. Indeed, recent months have seen the eyes of the world captivated by wildfires ravaging Australia – the country’s worst in decades. India is no stranger to environmental catastrophes and extreme weather patterns, witnessing calamities ranging from heatwaves […]
environment
Depression, suicide, and pollution
When considering the link between exposure to air pollution and health problems, mental health may not seem an obvious connection to draw to breathing toxic air. However, research has indicated a link between the two in the past – and a recent paper indicates that exposure to air pollution increases the risk of developing depression […]
Air pollution action needed: WHO official
As a report reveals the sizeable death toll due to air pollution in India, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has urged the country to take action on it. “Urgent action” is required to address pollution, according to Dr Maria Neira, director of the WHO Department of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of […]
India’s pollution crisis: 2 million lives a year
Air pollution continues to claim millions of lives every year with India leading the world in this regard. More than two million lives are lost to breathing toxic air in the country every year, in a grim reminder that India’s pollution crisis is among the leading threats to its environment and to public health. The […]
Javadekar criticised by the WHO over pollution claims
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has been criticised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for claims about air pollution and its effects on human health. “Let us not create a fear psychosis among people,” Javadekar told MPs last week. “Indian studies have not shown a correlation between shortening of life […]
‘No conclusive evidence’ – Government on pollution, disease and deaths
Air pollution is virtually universally acknowledged as a public health emergency in India, with swathes of the country choking beneath blankets of toxic air. However, a Government minister has informed lawmakers that there is a dearth of evidence to prove a link between pollution, disease, and deaths. “There is no conclusive data available in the […]
Non-smokers falling prey to lung cancer
The use of tobacco is widely understood as a risk factor for the development of lung cancer. However, in the National Capital Region (NCR), doctors report rising rates of lung cancer among non-smokers. “When I started operating on cancer patients in 1988, I found their lungs were pink,” Dr Arvind Kumar, chairman of the Centre […]
Child health: How climate change will affect it
“A child born today will experience a world that is more than four degrees warmer than the pre-industrial average, with climate change impacting human health from infancy and adolescence to adulthood and old age,” reads a report published yesterday by The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change – lending a chilling insight into the […]
Eye health at risk in Delhi thanks to pollution
Pollution is associated with a plethora of detrimental health effects – and eye health is among the facets of wellbeing which take a hit when pollution levels are high. Delhi is currently grappling with a major pollution crisis, with air quality levels plummeting to the extent that a public health emergency was declared in the […]
Delhi takes action on air pollution amidst a health crisis
Mired in a public health crisis due to depleted air quality, Delhi is taking action on air pollution. “Immediate measures will be taken against the complaints received on Central Pollution Control Board portal [CPCB] or Sameer app [which provides updates on Air Quality Index (AQI) readings],” commented a senior official. Complaints registered with the CPCB […]