Lok Sabha Question No. 1911 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: Asthma due to Polluted Air
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Rama Devi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1911 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH NOVEMBER, 2019

## ASTHMA DUE TO POLLUT ED AIR

## 1911. SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any survey to ascertain the increasing number of asthma patients and the vulnerability of small children to this disease owing to polluted air;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and response of the Government thereon; and
- (c) the measures taken by the Government for the prevention thereof and the outcome of the measures taken so far in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b): Government of India has not conducted any specific surveyrelated to asthma patients and the vulnerability of small children to this disease owing to polluted air .
- (c): Government haslaunched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 to tackle the problem of air pollution in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 30 % reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as base year .The overall objective is to augment and evolve effective ambient air quality monitoring network across the country besides ensuring comprehensive management plan for prevention, cont and  abatement  of  air  pollution  and  enhancing  public  awareness  and  capacity  build measures .

The plan includ es 102 non - attainment cities, across 23 States and Union Territories on  the  basis  of  their  ambient  air  qua lity  data  between  2011  and  2015 and  WHO  report 2014/2018.  A  total  of  86  city  specific  action  plans  have  been  approved  for  gr implementation.

In v iew  of  probable  linkage  of Respiratory illnesses with deteriorating Air Quality Index, Ministry Health & Family Welfare has alsoinitiated following activities:

- Initiation  of  daily  Sentinel  surveillance  for  Acute  Respiratory Illnesses  in  Emergency Department of  Hospitals:  initially  in  four  hospitals  (AIIMS,  SJH,  LHMC  &  RMLH), expanded to two more hospitals in Jan uary,2019 ( National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases and Vallabh Bhai Patel Chest Institute )
- Providing  feedback  to  hospi tals  for  undertakings  appropriate  measures  for  managing respiratory illnesses in their hospitals
- Time  and  again  issue  Health  advisory  on  health  effects  of  Air  Polluti on  to  Health department of all S tates. This year health advisory was issued in Sep tember - October2019 and then again after Diwali when AQI deteriorated beyond very Poor -Severe levels .
- Prepared and shared IEC posters on Air Pollution and its health effects with State Health Departments .
- Air Pollution and Health effects campaign have also been run on  Social media (M inistry of  Health  and  Family  Welfare Website,  N ational  Centre  for  Disease  Control Website , Twitter handle and Facebook pages) .
- The  S tates  and  UTs  have  also  been  advised  to  ini tiate  sentinel  surveillance  for  Acute Respiratory Illnesses in at least four to five major hospitals in those cities which listed as highly polluted cities by C entral Pollution Control Board .
- Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  is  also  conducting a  study  on  'Health  Impact Assessment in twenty most Polluted Cities' in the country. The report of this study may be valuable in terms of linking various health effects of air pollution.