Pollution from Fires Linked to 1.5 Million Deaths Annually, Study Finds
New research highlights the severe global health impact of air pollution from wildfires and agricultural burns, with low-income regions bearing the brunt.
- A study published in *The Lancet* reveals that air pollution from landscape fires, including wildfires and agricultural burns, is responsible for 1.53 million deaths annually between 2000 and 2019.
- Over 90% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, Indonesia, and Nigeria among the hardest-hit regions.
- The health impact includes 450,000 annual deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 220,000 from respiratory illnesses linked to fire-related air pollution.
- Researchers warn that climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of fires, potentially increasing the death toll in the future.
- The study calls for urgent action, including financial and technological support for affected regions, to address the health and climate inequities exacerbated by these fires.
9News 
Hindustan Times 
VSD - Voir, savoir, découvrir 
L'Humanité 
Le Nouvel Obs 
Deutsche Welle 
Sud Ouest 
Ouest-France 