Due to pollution yearly 272,000 premature deaths in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, air pollution, unsafe water, and poor sewage cause 272,000 premature deaths per year, as stated by the World Bank. This info is from the organization’s report ‘Bangladesh Country Environmental Analysis’, which was recently released at a hotel in the capital city Dhaka.
In addition to such pollution, unsafe hygiene and lead exposure also emerged as causes of death, the study said. In addition to death, these causes account for 5.2 billion days of illness. Poor people, children under five, elderly and women are disproportionately affected by pollution.
Due to these environmental problems, the loss in 2019 was 17.6 percent of Bangladesh’s GDP, according to the report.
Indoor and outdoor air pollution is the leading cause of premature death among environmental pollution, the report said. Air pollution is the cause of about 55% of premature deaths. Due to this, the GDP loss in 2019 was 8.32 percent.
The report emphasizes the serious impact of environmental pollution on children, stating that lead poisoning is causing lasting harm to children’s intellectual development. This results in the destruction of nearly two million IQ points per year. The report identified cooking with solid fuel as a major cause of indoor air pollution.
Its impact is more on women and children. The report states that Bangladesh’s rivers have experienced significant water quality decline due to industrial waste, plastic, and untreated sewage.
The World Bank reports that taking quick action to control air pollution, improve water, sanitation and hygiene, and prevent lead poisoning could prevent 133,000 premature deaths annually.
On the occasion, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), said, ‘The health of the country is paramount, and the government is committed to improving the quality of air and water. Priority interventions for climate action are being sequenced, and the government is actively developing a time-bound plan.’
He said that necessary policies will be coordinated to meet the emerging needs. At the same time, he said to work towards building a green future for the country.
