Air pollution in Nepal is eight times higher than the WHO standards, said Dr. Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population. He said that the air quality index in Nepal reached 185 on Thursday.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
The Ministry of Health and Population has stated that around 42,000 people die in Nepal every year due to air pollution. Ministry spokesperson Dr. Prakash Budhathoki said that 21 percent of them are children under the age of 5. He said that air pollution causes respiratory problems such as asthma, heart disease and heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and memory loss. Experts say that pollution causes respiratory problems in children, increases the risk of heart disease, increases the rate of infant mortality, increases the risk of childhood cancer, delays in brain development and abnormal behavior, and malnutrition.
Similarly, they say that air pollution causes problems such as low birth weight, anemia, infertility, gestational diabetes, and mental health problems.
Air pollution in Nepal is 8 times higher than the WHO standard, according to spokesperson Dr. Budhathoki informed. He said that the air quality index was seen in Nepal on Thursday up to 185. According to WHO standards, the annual average amount of fine particles considered harmful to health should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter. If the fine particles are less than that, they can float in the air and reach the lungs during the respiratory process, Dr. Budhathoki said.
The air quality index from 0 to 50 is considered healthy, 51 to 100 is considered alert, and 101 to 151 is considered harmful for risk groups (senior citizens, chronically ill and children). If the air quality index is above 151, it is considered unhealthy.
If this is brought within WHO standards, it is estimated that the life expectancy of Nepalis will increase by 3.3 years every year. Air pollution kills 7.9 million people annually, 90 percent of whom live in low- and middle-income countries.
Air pollution is caused by vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, open burning of waste and organic matter, dust from roads and construction, forest fires, and the use of pesticides and herbicides.
