European governments fail to protect their citizens from air pollution ... and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually

London - Sana

Toxic air pollution continues to cause about half a million premature deaths annually on the European continent, despite some improvement, as most Europeans are still breathing dirty air in their cities, according to data released by the European Environment Agency in its annual report.

"Governments across Europe have so far failed to protect their citizens from toxic air pollution, as pollutants from agriculture, local heating and vehicles exceed the levels necessary to ensure access to breathable air that meets the standards set by the Health Organization," the agency said in its report, which was reported by the British newspaper The Ghadrian. Global and this despite the legislation developed by the European Union and government pledges during election campaigns.

According to agency data, "exposure to such pollution caused the premature death of about 417,000 people in various parts of Europe, including non-European Union countries, in 2018."

"Our data proves that investing in improving air quality is an investment to improve the health and productivity of all Europeans. Policies and measures consistent with Europe's ambition of zero pollution lead to longer, healthier lives and more resilient and resilient associations," said Hans Bruinikx, executive director of the Copenhagen-based agency.

The agency report concluded that nearly half a million premature deaths every year are attributable to air pollution, despite some improvement resulting from the lockdown caused by the Corona pandemic this year, and said that its preliminary data showed that air pollution in the European continent decreased by 60 percent this year.

The report pointed out that air pollution, noise and the impacts of climate change such as heat waves and exposure to dangerous chemicals cause ill health in Europe.

The agency's European Air Quality Report for 2020 shows that Estonia, Finland, Iceland and Ireland were the only four European countries with concentrations of fine particles below the stricter WHO guidelines.

According to the agency's report, long-term exposure to air pollutants causes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, both of which have been identified as a risk factor that can lead to death in patients (Covid 19).

Amer Dawa