Indian-origin lung and heart specialists working in the UK have raised alarm that air pollution has overtaken COVID-19 as India's most significant public health crisis. Without swift intervention, the situation will deteriorate each year. Doctors stress that millions in North India already face serious lung damage, with a 'tidal wave of lung diseases' on the horizon.
Dr. Manish Gautam, a lung expert from Liverpool, highlighted the chronic damage wrought by toxic air on the lungs of millions in North India. The patients currently presenting symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg, with many conditions lying undiagnosed beneath the surface.
Dr. Gautam urged the government to form a special Lung Health Task Force to expedite the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases, akin to the large-scale campaigns previously enacted to control TB.
Source: aajtak
December saw a significant 20-30% increase in respiratory illness in Delhi hospitals, affecting many first-time sufferers and the young alike. Doctors caution that seemingly minor symptoms—headaches, fatigue, mild coughs, a scratchy throat, dry eyes, skin rashes, and recurring infections—can be early signs of severe disease.
London-based cardiologist Dr. Rajay Narayan pointed out that rising heart disease over the past decade is heavily linked to air pollution, not just obesity. Professor Derek Connolly, a Birmingham-based heart expert, emphasized the insidious growth of heart diseases fueled by invisible pollution particles (PM2.5). Emissions from vehicles are a major contributor.
Source: aajtak
India's Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari, acknowledged on Tuesday that approximately 40% of Delhi's pollution stems from transportation, citing a reliance on fossil fuels. He underscored the urgent need for clean alternatives like biofuels.
Recently, during the Parliament's winter session, the government noted the absence of definitive data linking poor air quality (AQI) directly to lung diseases. Nonetheless, it conceded that air pollution exacerbates respiratory diseases. Over the past three years, more than 200,000 acute respiratory cases have been logged in Delhi, with around 30,000 hospitalizations.
Source: aajtak
The 'Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change' 2025 report indicated that over 1.7 million deaths in India in 2022 were attributable to PM2.5 pollution, with road transport emissions accounting for 269,000 of these deaths.
Doctors stress that while pollution prevention is crucial, prompt diagnosis, treatment, and public awareness are equally vital. Failing to act now will exact a heavy toll on both the nation's health and its economy in the coming years.
