Dirty air regular killer in Asia: WHO

Dirty air regular killer in Asia: WHO

The haze that has shrouded parts of Southeast Asia this month is
just one visible element of a much larger problem that kills
hundreds of thousands of people in the region every year, the
World Health Organization said.

Air pollution in major Southeast Asian and Chinese cities
ranks among the worst in the world and contributes to the deaths
of about 500,000 people annually, said Michal Krzyzanowski, an
air quality specialist at the WHO's European Center for
Environment and Health in Bonn, Germany.

Drifting smoke from raging forest fires in Indonesia caused
Malaysia to declare a state of emergency last week in two areas
outside Kuala Lumpur and the closure of all scores of schools and
workplaces. Parts of Thailand were also blanketed in the haze.

The emergency in Malaysia was lifted after a few days as
shifting winds reduced the haze. But meteorologists are
predicting a new cloud will hover over parts of Malaysia and
possibly Singapore next week.

Malaysian health officials said hospitals reported a 150
percent increase in breathing problems and seven people who had a
history of respiratory problems reportedly died during the haze
period. The government could not confirm if the smoky air was to
blame for the deaths.

The haze, blamed on illegal dry-season burning to clear land
on Indonesia's Sumatra island, is an annual problem. It peaked in
1997-1998, when several countries in the region were blanketed in
smoke and complained loudly.

Studies from that period showed most affected countries
reported increased outpatient hospital visits and admissions and
that Malaysia experienced a higher number of deaths on days with
the worst haze, said Michael Brauer, a researcher from the
University of British Columbia who studied the problem.

Malaysia's government and others in the region have sought to
play down the potential health impact of the haze, fearing it
could hurt their tourism industries.

No data is available on long-term health effects from the
1997-1998 episode, but based on a general understanding of air
pollution, Brauer said extended health problems could be expected
in some people.

"When levels increase we see increased numbers of people dying
from respiratory and cardiovascular disease," Brauer said via e-
mail. "And people living in areas of higher air pollution tend to
die earlier than those living in less polluted areas."

WHO's Krzyzanowski said fine particles, including those
released from fires, are a major contributor to respiratory
problems, especially in children, the elderly and people with
existing illnesses. He said more cases may be reported during
smoggy periods, but day-to-day pollution is a far larger concern.

"Even though it is very spectacular and acute, it will be
taken under control," Krzyzanowski said. "Traffic-related
pollution, industry and criminal burning of wood and coal and
solid materials is causing a permanent high pollution level."

People with asthma are more prone to attacks on days with
heavier pollution and dirty air can also contribute to acute
respiratory infections -- a major killer in children younger than
five in developing countries, he said. People with cardiovascular
problems also are at increased risk because pollution can further
hamper circulation, he added.

Indoor pollution is also a problem in developing Asian
countries where 60 percent to 80 percent of households use fuels
such as wood or coal for cooking and heat, according to a report
by the U.S.-based Health Effects Institute.

Southeast Asian nations have been working to address the haze
issue and this week announced the formation of a panel of
environmental experts to fight forest fires.

The haze is "difficult to stop because fire is used and will
always be used as part of land management," said Daniel
Murdiyarso, of the Center for International Forestry Research in
Indonesia. "People are working very hard, but it's just not
effective."

Krzyzanowski said a haze crisis in the 1950s in London killed
about 4,000 people, and prompted officials to implement a long-
term pollution strategy to address all aspects of the problem.

"Air pollution has to be looked at as a possible unwelcome
result and byproduct of development," he said. "It is something
which we should learn a lesson from these years ago in Europe."
-- AP