LUCKNOW: Four kids could be dying every hour in UP of pneumonia caused by respirable suspended particulate matter (PM) 1, 2.5 and 10, which form a large part of the air we breathe. Alarmingly, the number adds up to 104 deaths per day and 38,000 a year. The findings come from various studies shared by health organizations, including Unicef, on the eve of World Pneumonia Awareness Day.
Citing these figures from different studies, including the most recent one conducted John Hopkins University , paediatrician at King George's Medical University , Prof Shally Awasthi said, "Scientific evidence is available to prove that about 50% of pneumonia deaths could be attributed to indoor air pollution which holds true for outdoor pollution too."
She added that bacteria and viruses ride the particulate matter and go into the lungs with every breath. "RSPM causes chemical irritation of the lung surface giving the bac teriavirus a robust site to cause the infection. It is also important to note that the smaller the particle (say PM1), the easier it is for the microbe to ride on it," she explained.
Prof Awasthi said that the extent of the problem could be much more as pneumonia affects every kid at least once."Our ongoing research in Lucknow has indicated that 124100 kids had suffered from pneumonia. This means that all kids have had pneumonia once, 24 in the same group were hit by a second episode," she told TOI.
Official data reveals that pneumonia affects 1.5 crore children in a year in UP of whom 76,000 die. Pulmonary medicine expert Dr B P Singh explained why children were more susceptible to air pollution. "Children's lungs, their brains and immune systems are more permeable than of adults which makes them more vulnerable to indoor and outdoor pollution. Also, they breathe in more than their relative body weight which makes them inhale more toxins than grown ups."
Unicef, which has recently released Clear the Air for Children Report, has noted: "Pollutants don't only harm children's developing lungs, they can actually cross the bloodbrain barrier and permanently damage their developing brains- and, thus, their futures. No society can afford to ignore air pollution."
The Unicef report released on October 31 used satellite imagery to show how many children were exposed to outdoor pollution that has exceeded guidelines set by the WHO.
Terming the situation in New Delhi as a wake-up call, WHO officials said that the capital alone was not battling with pollution, "other cities such as Varanasi and Lucknow" were also suffering.
