Projected Increase in Infant Mortality from SPM - 2020s

Projected Increase in Infant Mortality from SPM - 2020s
Atmospheric fine particulate matter (SPM, especially PM2.5) continues to have a significant impact on infant mortality in the 2020s. High concentrations of PM2.5 in urban areas, especially in Asian countries such as India and China, where coal combustion is a major contributor, are significantly increasing infant respiratory illness and mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 230 million people in the Asia-Pacific region are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution, and one million children die each year from health problems related to premature birth and low birth weight.

In India, studies using satellite data have shown that infants exposed to high levels of PM2.5 during the month of birth have a significantly increased risk of dying within a year. Children of the poor are particularly vulnerable to the effects of such pollution. In China, the burden of disease attributable to PM2.5 is also increasing, with approximately 916,000 people experiencing premature deaths from air pollution in 2013. This includes diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

In addition, because of its microscopic nature, PM2.5 can easily penetrate the lungs of infants, especially severely affecting infants born underweight. Air pollution in urban areas of China and India is worsening with development, and there is an urgent need for sustainable pollution control measures.

The continued use of fossil fuels, including coal, amid industrialization and urbanization in these countries calls for urgent measures to reduce PM2.5 in particular and to reduce health risks.