Lok Sabha Question No. 2093 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-29
Subject: Effect of Pollution on Life Expectancy
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Agatha K. Sangma

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2093 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2022

## EFFECT OF POLLUTION ON LIFE EXPECTANCY

## 2093.  KUMARI AGATHA K. SANGMA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any study to assess the effect of air pollution on life expectancy in India, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the recent study holding that air pollution reduces life expectancy by five years on average in India and by ten years in Delhi;
- (c) whether  the  Government  collects  data  on  the  number  of  deaths  occurring  due  to  air pollution, if so, the details thereof from 2017 to 2022, year-wise and State/UT-wise and if not, whether the Government intends to collect any such data; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  roles  and  responsibilities  to  be  assigned  to  his  Ministry  considering  the adverse health impacts of air pollution?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (d): Ministry of Health & FW through Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has conducted  the  study  titled  'The  impact  of  air  pollution  on  deaths,  disease  burden,  and  life expectancy  across  the  states  of  India:  the  Global  Burden  of  Disease  Study  2017'  on  6 th December 2018. The study estimated that life expectancy in India would have increased by 1.7 years if the pollution levels had been lower than the minimum levels associated with health loss, including  0.9  years  for  ambient  particulate  matter  pollution  reduction  and  0.7  years  for household air pollution reduction.

Ministry  of  Health  &  FW  through  ICMR  has  conducted  a  multisite  study  covering  a  total  of 33213 participants to document acute effect of increase in air pollution on respiratory morbidity suggests  that  increase  in  pollution  levels  was  associated  with  increase  in  number  of  patients attending emergency rooms. Effect was more pronounced in children.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry addressing the issues arising due to air pollution. Under Ministry of Health & FW, air pollution and its health concerns are addressed through National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH).

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has also issued various documents for preventive measures to States/UTs:

- a. National Health Adaptation Plan for diseases due to air pollution
- b. IEC posters Audio-Video IECs, GIFs,
- c. Public Health Advisory on air pollution
- d. Training Manuals for community level health workers on Air Pollution

Further, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare works to address the issues through its five key action points of public awareness generation through  IEC campaigns, capacity building of the health sector including trainings, health sector preparedness and response mechanisms, partnerships and collaborations with relevant Ministries/ Departments.

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