According to an analysis of the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, air pollution remains the biggest health threat to Delhi residents, accounting for nearly 15% of all deaths in 2023.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has termed pollution a major health crisis, while the government maintains that data linking air quality and deaths is inconclusive.
According to an analysis of the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, air pollution remains the biggest health threat to Delhi residents, accounting for nearly 15% of all deaths in 2023.
The analysis, based on GBD 2023 data released earlier this month by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), estimated that approximately 17,188 deaths occurred in Delhi that year due to exposure to particulate matter pollution in the air, PTI reported.
This is a very concerning report. Air pollution in Delhi has caused numerous health problems and thousands of deaths in 2023. This becomes even more dangerous, especially during the colder months when temperatures drop and the amount of smoke, dust, and other pollutants in the air increases.
Air pollution severely affects the heart, lungs, and other organs, and causes several serious illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, and cardiovascular diseases. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.
One in every seven deaths in the city was attributed to polluted air
However, the central government has stated that there is no conclusive data available to establish a direct link between air pollution and deaths.
The GBD study is one of the world’s most comprehensive research projects, tracking how people die and what causes their illnesses across all countries, age groups, and causes. After air pollution, the other major risk factors for deaths in Delhi in 2023 were high systolic blood pressure (14,874 deaths or 12.5%), high fasting plasma glucose or diabetes (10,653 deaths or 9%), high cholesterol (7,267 deaths or 6%), and high body mass index (6,698 deaths or 5.6%).
Researchers from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), who analyzed the latest GBD data, stated that, despite year-on-year fluctuations, deaths attributable to particulate matter pollution remain consistently high, often exceeding those linked to high blood pressure or diabetes.
Manoj Kumar, an analyst at CREA, said, “Air pollution is not merely an environmental issue; it is a public health crisis that demands science-based action across polluting sectors to achieve real and measurable reductions in pollution.”
He further added, “Until Delhi’s air quality significantly improves, the health burden from pollution-related diseases, particularly respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and lung cancer, will continue to rise.”
The data shows that deaths attributable to air pollution increased from 15,786 in 2018 to 17,188 in 2023.
During the same period, deaths due to high blood pressure increased from 13,604 to 14,874, while deaths due to high fasting plasma glucose increased from 8,938 to 10,653. CREA stated that the Delhi data serves as a stark reminder that effective control of air pollution is one of the most powerful public health interventions, capable of reducing the burden of disease, improving quality of life, and adding years to the life expectancy of millions of residents. In response to a question, Union Minister of State for Environment, Kirti Vardhan Singh, stated in the Rajya Sabha on July 24 this year that air pollution “is one of the many contributing factors that can influence respiratory illnesses and related diseases.”
He further added, “Health is determined by a variety of variables, including dietary habits, occupational exposure, socio-economic status, medical history, immunity, genetics, and environmental factors.