The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) underscored health risks affecting 11mn children in Pakistan's Eastern Punjab province considering the constantly depleting air quality index (AQI) standing at 1045 on Tuesday as per the IAQ’s data. Experts say that this has effectively become a "fifth season" of air pollution in the recent years.
Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF's representative, recently stated that nearly 12 per cent of deaths in children under the age of 5 in Pakistan were due to air pollution. He further urged the Pakistan government to take stringent action to diminish air pollution for the affected children.
"The impact of this year's extraordinary smog will take time to assess, but we know that doubling and tripling the amount of pollution in the air will have devastating effects, particularly on children and pregnant women,” Fadil added.
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According to health authorities’ report, over 40,000 people have sought treatment for respiratory issues.
Amongst the measures taken so far to combat air pollution, special smog counters have been set up at clinics across the province to attend patients with 900 people admitted to hospital in Lahore on Tuesday.
Besides, the government has mandated wearing of face masks and is considering methods to introduce artificial rainfall. Besides, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued a notice to shut educational institutions and public spaces until November 17.
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World Health Organization defines air pollution as the contamination of environment (indoor or outdoor) by any chemical, physical or biological agent that imbalances the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Some of the common sources of air pollution include industrial smoke, forest fires, household combustion devices and motor vehicles.
AQI indicates air quality considered as "Good" if it falls between 0–50 and "Hazardous" if it falls between 301–500. Going by the recent numbers, Pakistan has regularly crossed the 1000 mark on the AQI scale.
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