5 minutes agoAir pollution, health risks, and children's lives
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)The high level of air pollution is seen as a potential health hazard, but human life as well. This pollution is seen as a potential threat to chronically ill people, including children. At the University Clinical Clinic in Kosovo, the number of children with respiratory problems, or lung diseases, is [...]
The high level of air pollution is seen as a potential health hazard, but human life as well. This pollution is seen as a potential threat to chronically ill people, including children.
At the University Clinical Centre in Kosovo, the number of children with respiratory problems, or lung diseases, has increased. Although there is no accurate record of how many children are affected or even killed during the year, field professionals say that these problems are related to contaminated air.
Air in Kosovo in general, particularly in urban areas, has been named to be more polluted than allowed rates.
Officials from the Kosovo National Institute of Public Health say they have no record of the mortality of children related to contaminated air.
Health Statistics Department Director at the National Institute of Public Health Sanije Hoxha Gashi, in an email response, tells Radio Free Europe that, “these data are not reported by health institutions”.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation's office in Kosovo emphasises that Kosovo's <x0 air drive estimates that each year causes 835 premature deaths”.
The University Clinical Centre of Kosovo's Clinical Clinic says that especially in the winter season, the number of children affected by respiratory diseases, or even lung diseases, and that one of the causes is contaminated air.
Even old cars in Kosovo are valued as the main cause of air pollution
Muharrem Avdiu, pediatric at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, said that they have already begun to increase cases with these diseases and that such a situation could last until May.
“We lack data that could help us clarify this problem. But from experience in the clinic, we find that especially during wintertime, respiratory infections increase. We have departments, but kids looking for help, don't get spaces here, so we distribute them to all clinics”, Avdiu says.
In his view, there are times when they are forced to put two children in a bed.
Health problems caused by polluted air are obvious, he points out, but he believes that when the pollution factor can lead to death, it is less.
“Death I can say is small, as caution is not lacking and the number of pediatric doctors is sufficient”, Avdiu points out.
Some 600,000 children in the world die each year from contaminated air, reports the World Health Organization (OBSH) report.
While the latest report by the United Nations Organization (OKB) warned that air pollution causes the deaths of 7 million people in the world annually, while 92% of about 4 billion people in the Asia-Peace region are breathing toxic air.
Rukije Mehmeti, a Talmudologist, tells Radio Free Europe that there is a lack of accurate data on both disease and mortality for certain pathology.
We don't have data on the disease. But the number of chronically ill people is growing in children as well as adults. This is especially evident when environmental pollution begins, since these cases of disease grow markedly”.
Also, smoking is affecting children on their parents ' part, which I think is irresponsible. Although parents do not accept such a thing from their children, it is noted by the complications of children, especially in lung diseases”, Mehmet suggests.
Meanwhile, Ardita Tahirukaj, the head of the World Health Organisation office in Kosovo, says air pollution is on a level of concern to Europe.
Kosovo's “air rate is estimated that each year it causes 835 premature deaths, 310 new chronic tank cases, 600 hospital admissions and 11,600 emergency visits”, she says.
The Most Contaminated Environments In Kosovo, especially for the poor quality of air, it is estimated to be Pristina, the area of Obilic, Drinas and Mitrovica.
The KEK's <x0m power plants (Kosovo A and B in Obilic) are regarded as the main sources of air pollution, although in addition to emissions from thermal power, the irrational exploitation of household energy, burning coal and wood for individual heating, as well as transport and industry, as well as inadequate waste management, are contributing to air pollution”, Tahirukaj adds.
The United Nations Organization report says that the fresh air that is the most basic need has already become a luxury in many parts of the world. It says that implementation of this clean air project will cost $300-600 billion annually.
