Around 7,000 premature deaths are recorded in Sri Lanka every year as a result of air pollution, the Ministry of Health says.
Dr. Chandanee Withana, Director of Environmental and Occupational Health at the ministry, gave the figure at a media briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau. She said between 7 and 8 million people die prematurely worldwide each year from the effects of polluted air, and that the toll is rising as pollution levels climb.
“Air pollution is increasing around the world, and as a result, premature deaths caused by it are also rising,” she said. “In Sri Lanka, around 7,000 premature deaths are reported annually due to the same cause.”
How it causes harm
Withana said harmful particles and gases in polluted air — including fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide — enter the respiratory system, penetrate deep into the lungs and can pass into the bloodstream.
Exposure is linked to asthma, wheezing, chronic lung disease, heart attacks, cardiovascular disease and stroke, she said.
The problem indoors
The briefing put particular emphasis on household air pollution, which Withana said can run considerably higher than outdoor pollution.
“Household air pollution is five times higher than outdoor air pollution,” she said. “When firewood is burned for cooking, harmful gases are released and can accumulate indoors due to poor ventilation.”
She said lung cancer was previously more commonly associated with men who smoked, but that cases among women are also increasing, partly through exposure to indoor air pollution.
Withana advised against cooking with kerosene stoves or other polluting fuels in enclosed spaces, citing the health risks of prolonged exposure.
Firewood and other biomass remain widely used for cooking in Sri Lankan households, particularly in rural areas, making ventilation and fuel choice a significant public health question outside the more visible problem of urban and vehicle emissions.
Sources: Ada Derana.
