Death from air pollution in Tashkent
Mortality rates from diseases caused by air pollution revealed
10.10.2024
Article published on the kun.uz website
There are 3,042 premature deaths from diseases caused by exposure to harmful PM2.5 airborne particles in Tashkent every year, according to a report “Assessment of Air Quality in Tashkent” and a “road map” for improving air quality management in Uzbekistan.
Air pollution is the most common cause of deaths from strokes (33%), ischaemic heart disease (28%) and lower respiratory tract infection (23%).
The report states that the average annual PM2.5 concentration was below the World Health Organisation (WHO) target in only 39% of locations within the urban Tashkent area where only 17% of the population lives.
The report included a detailed assessment of the effect of air pollution on the health of Tashkent residents, based on local data and information from the Global Burden of Disease database. It made a number of recommendations to improve air quality, including updating standards and regulations, developing a national air quality management strategy and establishing a coordination mechanism to implement these measures.
The economic impacts of air pollution on the health of the capital’s residents may be the equivalent of 0.7% of the nation’s GDP ($488.4 million).
The report suggested reducing adverse effects by improving the quality of fuel for heating appliances, increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and switching to more environmentally-friendly sources of heating.
