Updates: Outdoor Air Pollution among Top Global Health Risks in 2010 by Health Effects Institute, USA (13 Dec 2012)

Outdoor Air Pollution among Top Global Health Risks in 2010

Risks Especially High in Developing Countries of Asia

A new systematic analysis of all major global health risks has found that outdoor air pollution in the form of fine particles is a much more significant public health risk than previously known − contributing annually to over 3.2 million premature deaths worldwide and over 74 million years of healthy life lost. It now ranks among the top global health risk burdens.
The analysis – the 2010 Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2010) – is being published on 15 December in a special issue of the leading British medical journal The Lancet. It applies consistent methods to the largest global database ever assembled to estimate risks of premature mortality and contributions to global health burden[1] from a wide variety of risks: smoking, diet, alcohol, HIV AIDS, household and outdoor air pollution, and many more. For the first time it places outdoor air pollution among the top 10 risks worldwide and among the top five or six risks in the developing countries of Asia. It documents as well that household air pollution from the burning of solid fuels is responsible for a substantial burden of disease in low- and middle income countries.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chulha-smoke-choking-Indian-women-kids/articleshow/17605667.cms

This new analysis identifies especially high risk levels in the developing countries of Asia where air pollution levels are the highest in the world. Overall GBD 2010 estimates over 2.1 million premature deaths and 52 million years of healthy life lost in 2010 due to ambient fine particle air pollution, fully 2/3 of the burden worldwide. Among other risk factors studied in the GBD, outdoor air pollution ranked 4th in mortality and health burden in East Asia (China and North Korea) where it contributed to 1.2 million deaths in 2010, and 6th in South Asia (including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) where it contributed to 712,000 deaths in 2010. The analysis found that reducing the burden of disease due to air pollution in Asia will require substantial decreases in the high levels of air pollution in those regions.

“The study’s findings … suggest that a large burden of disease in many parts of the world is attributable to particulate matter pollution, which is substantially higher than estimated in previous analyses,” reported The Lancet (Lim et al 2012)

Earlier GBD assessments reported much smaller air pollution-related burdens of disease. Air pollution’s increased importance in this 2010 update results from two major factors:
First, new global estimates of particulate air pollution exposure in both urban and rural areas, based on ground-level measurements and satellite remote sensing and global chemical transport models, were able to much better capture full population exposure.

Second, a new detailed analysis of the relationship between outdoor levels of air pollution and effects on mortality and illness – based on the latest health effects research - resulted in significantly increased estimates of effects for each incremental increase in pollution.

Because exposure to air pollution affects cardiovascular disease and other leading causes of disease and death worldwide, the global burden of disease due to air pollution is substantial.

“There is a wide range of risks that affect global health,” said Bob O’Keefe, Vice President of the Health Effects Institute[2] and Chair of Clean Air Asia. “However this landmark analysis places air pollution among the top risk factors in the world today with the greatest impacts among people in the developing countries of Asia, underscoring the need for effective action to reduce exposure.
 
The 2010 GBD was produced by a rigorous scientific process involving over 450 global experts and led by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington along with its partner institutions: the World Health Organization, the University of Queensland, Australia, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University. Its extensive analysis was subjected to detailed peer review to ensure the highest quality of analysis, and a consistent and comparable approach to ensure that the many risk factors could be assessed using the same techniques. Within the larger GBD project, the outdoor air pollution analyses were conducted by an international team led by Dr. Aaron Cohen of Health Effects Institute and Dr. H Ross Anderson of St. Georges, University of London.

GBD 2010 is being released as part of a Symposium sponsored by IHME and The Lancet at the Royal Society in London on 14 December 2012. For further information on the air pollution analysis contact Bob O’Keefe (+1 617 488 2311 rokeefe@healtheffects.org ) or Aaron Cohen (acohen@healtheffects.org )

[1] Global Health Burden is measured in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) which can be defined as the number of healthy years of life lost from various risks.
[2] The Health Effects Institute is an independent, non-profit research institute funded jointly by the US Environmental Protection Agency, industry, foundations and development banks to provide credible, high quality science on air pollution and health for air quality decisions.

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Source: http://cleanairinitiative.org/portal/node/11507

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Publication: Civic Exchange's Submission on environmental policies for 2013 Policy Address Consultation

Civic Exchange urges HKSAR Government to take swift actions for improving air quality and protecting public health, in line with Audit Commission’s recommendations
DATE: 14 Nov 2012 

HONG KONG: Wednesday, 14 November 2012 – Civic Exchange welcomes Audit Commission’s Report No.59 (the Report) dated 26 October 2012 and released today, in particular Chapters 1 and 2 on “Monitoring and reporting of air quality” and “Implementation of air-quality improvement measures”, respectively. This is a timely report for the new administration to consider as they are preparing for their air quality management strategy and plan, as well as a welcome reminder about how much works still need to be done in Hong Kong to deliver clean air to our people and to protect public health.

Managing Air Quality Objectives

Audit Commission’s Report highlights HKSAR Government’s past inadequacies in managing Hong Kong’s air quality objectives (AQOs) and in setting new AQOs that would protect public health (Chapter 1, Part 2). Civic Exchange argues that it is indisputable that Hong Kong’s AQOs must use the World Health Organization’s Air Quality Guidelines as our long-term goal. It is also extremely important that, as recommended by the Report, time targets and milestones must be set for achieving the AQOs as soon as possible, which is contrary to HKSAR Government’s past approach to achieve the AQOs as soon as reasonably practicable. Regular reviews should also be made in future to revise our AQOs for driving further improvement of our air quality, but not to be constrained by worries of non-compliance.

Administering Air Pollution Index

Administration of air pollution index (API) is also considered in the report as unsatisfactory (Chapter 1, Part 3). Indeed, Civic Exchange has been constantly calling for the government to make the API a better system for communicating air quality information and its associated health risks to the population. With the imminent implementation of the new AQOs, the HKSAR Government should also take this opportunity to revamp their API system for enhanced communication with the public.

Measures on Vehicles and Ships

Chapter 2 of the Audit Commission’s Report focuses on the air quality improvement measures. Civic Exchange agrees with the Report’s recommendations that efforts need to be made by the HKSAR Government in cutting emissions from vehicles, ships, power plants, and non-road mobile machinery, as well as stepping up collaboration in regional air quality management with Guangdong. Among the major local emission sources, priorities must be given to clean-up the diesel commercial vehicles and ship.

Simon Ng, Head of Transport and Sustainability Research of Civic Exchange, explains, “roadside air quality has been getting worse, and one key measure is to get the old and polluting diesel commercial vehicles off the road. On the other hand, ships have become the biggest emitter of respirable suspended particulates (36%) and nitrogen oxides (32%), and the second biggest emitter of sulphur dioxide (48%). Regulations are badly required for the control of ship emissions such as the use of low sulphur fuel at berth. In the long run, an emission control area should be set up in Pearl River Delta waters to maximize emission reduction and public health improvement.”

Inter-department and Cross-bureau collaboration

Last, but not least, Civic Exchange recognizes that the Environment Bureau (ENB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) cannot deliver clean air to Hong Kong on their own, without the support of other government departments and policy bureaux. For example, the Report questions the slow progress in implementing bus route rationalization in the past. To achieve better progress in the future, it requires collaboration among ENB, EPD, Transport Department and the District Councils. Also, we need Health Department’s support if the main objective of our air quality management plan is to improve public health.

Measurable Improvement versus Marginal Gain

“Air pollution in Hong Kong is so worrying that we must go for policies and measures that would not just bring marginal difference, but substantial and measurable improvement in air quality and public health,” Ng exclaims. “It would require a new mindset, sheer determination, bold actions, collaboration within government, as well as support from the Legislature and society. It is heartening that ENB and EPD have acknowledged all the recommendations listed in the Report, and it is time to put promises into actions.”

Download document:

Civic Exchange’s Submission on environmental policies for 2013 Policy Address Consultation:

• http://www.civic-exchange.org/wp/2013env_consultation_en (English)
• http://cht.civic-exchange.org/wp/2013env_consultation_cn (Chinese)

For more information: http://www.civic-exchange.org/wp/121114pr_en/

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