ILLNESS arising from ambient air pollution caused an estimated 11,200 premature deaths in Lagos in 2018, a recent report published by the World Bank said. ‎

A summary of the report – ‘‎Cost of Air Pollution in Lagos‎’ – was published in an article titled ‘Air pollution: A silent killer in Lagos’, co-authored b‎y Karin Kemper, ‎Global Director, Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practice at the World Bank‎, and Shubham Chaudhuri, ‎World Bank Country Director for Nigeria. ‎‎
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The World Bank also said air pollution cost the Lagos State Government about $2.1 billion in 2018.‎

“‎A recent World Bank study, the Cost of Air Pollution in Lagos, estimates that illness and premature deaths due to ambient air pollution caused losses of $2.1 billion in 2018, representing about 2.1 per cent of Lagos State’s GDP,” a part of the report read.
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“In the same year, it caused an estimated 11,200 premature deaths, the highest in West Africa,” parts of the article ‘‎‎Air pollution: A silent killer in Lagos.”
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According to the report, children under five were the most affected in the premature deaths, as they accounted for 60 per cent of total deaths.

Adults were also affected by air pollution, with adult victims suffering from heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.‎
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‎”As Nigeria’s economic hub, Lagos is one of the world’s fastest growing megacities, but this rapid growth has had a downside with high rates of illness and premature death caused by unhealthy air,” the World Bank‎ said.

It warned that, if, as experts predict, Lagos becomes the world’s largest city by 2100, major sources of pollution will likely increase as industry grows and transportation needs soar. ‎‎

In an overview of the report, the World Bank said, “Our study estimates the impact of ambient air pollution on health, analyzes main pollution sources, and recommends options to improve Lagos’ air quality,” adding that “Indoor air pollution is another challenge that will be explored in a later study.”

The report observed that ambient air pollution is caused by pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, ozone, air toxics, and fine particulate matter.

“These are dangerous because they can pass lung barriers and enter the blood stream, contributing to mortality and morbidity”, the report said, ‎noting that Lagos has recorded pollution levels “in the‎ same range as other polluted megacities such as Beijing, Cairo and Mumbai.”

READ MORE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/air-pollution-caused-11200-premature-deaths-2-1b-loss-in-lagos-in-2018-world-bank-report/