Air Pollution Increases Mortality Risk in Iran

The head of the Asthma and Allergy Department at the Ministry of Health, Education, and Medical Education states that air pollution has led to an increase in premature mortality in the country. According to Mehdi Najmi, it poses a significant risk for patients with cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory issues. As air pollution intensifies, these diseases worsen and can lead to the death of these patients. In an interview with ILNA news agency, this official noted that increasing air pollution in Iran complicates disease management, exacerbating heart and respiratory diseases, which can result in fatalities. Although some officials in the Ministry of Health claim that no precise study has been conducted on the correlation between rising mortality rates in large polluted cities and high levels of air pollution, the head of the Asthma and Allergy Department mentioned that on days with higher air pollution, the number of individuals suffering from cardiovascular and respiratory attacks increases, leading to more hospital visits and emergency services being on alert, particularly with a rise in respiratory patient admissions. Pollutants are identified as the main culprits of this pollution, primarily dispersed through vehicles. The levels of these pollutants have become so high that they prompted government regulations, and based on a decree issued last December, the responsibilities of agencies in the public transportation sector for reducing air pollution were defined. Emergency services in polluted cities are on standby during emergencies, schools are closed, and warnings about suspending physical activities and staying indoors are frequently issued on days when the air quality deteriorates. According to Mehrdad Lahouti, the deputy head of the Environment Fraction in Parliament, around three thousand people die annually in Tehran due to air pollution.