Mitigating air pollution: planetary health awaits a cosmopolitan moment

摘要

We live in a so-called risk society. The renowned sociologist and social thinker Ulrich Beck defines a risk society as an inescapable structural condition of advanced industrialisation.1 No doubt, industrialisation has transformed economies across the world, but it has also altered the balance of the ecosystem.2 Air pollution, an outcome of industrialisation as well as urbanisation has emerged as an important risk factor for human health and beyond. Air pollution is a leading contributor to non-communicable diseases and accounts for 22% of all deaths from cardiovascular disease, 26% of deaths from ischaemic heart disease, 25% of deaths from stroke, 53% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 40% of deaths from lung cancer.3 WHO estimates that more than 90% of the world’s population is at risk of air pollution exposure, resulting in 7 million deaths annually worldwide.4 Most of these deaths occur in low-income and middle-income countries, particularly India. In 2017 alone, air pollution caused 8% of the total disease burden and 11% of premature deaths in people younger than 70 years in India.