Northern Macedonia is the European leader in deaths due to dirty air - 255 per 100 000 people.
Air pollution is a deadly threat to public health, but certain regions are at much greater risk than others. Most worrying is the situation in the Balkans. Northern Macedonia is followed by Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Bulgaria.
This is clear from a report by the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) quoted by Euronews.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) contributed to around 239,000 deaths in Europe in 2021. Another 48,000 people died as a result of exposure to nitrogen dioxide.
Air pollution has been linked to lung cancer, heart and respiratory diseases, stroke, pregnancy problems and more. It is especially dangerous for older people, causing about 4% of all deaths among adults 65 and older.
The Public Health Institute published a report last year that found nearly 18% of the total deaths in North Macedonia could be attributed to exposure to current PM2.5 concentrations.
Earlier, UNICEF published alarming statistics that one in nine newborn deaths in the country is linked to dirty air. | BGNES
