Environmental Pollution and chronic diseases

In an Indo-US joint workshop, on September 05, 2008 at Chandigarh, Prof S K Jindal said it has been globally recognised that environmental factors, have important links with infectious as well as non-infectious diseases of both acute and chronic nature. “The WHO estimates that 24 per cent of global disease burden and 23 per cent of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors. The burden is more on the developing than the developed countries.” He said: “In developing countries, an estimated 42 per cent of acute lower respiratory infections are caused by environmental factors.”
The major burden of these hazards is borne by the lungs. Bronchial asthma and other allergies; chronic obstructive lung disease, respiratory infections including tuberculosis and occupational lung diseases are some of the common problems with a strong environmental risk which, account for a large disease burden all over the world, including in India. “There is a need for extensive studies to gauge the effects of environmental factors on the human health.”
According to New England Journal of Medicine, 2007, even a short exposure to traffic fumes can increase your chances of heart disease, including heart attack. People who exercise in areas where there is heavy traffic may be especially at risk, researchers say.