Watch Specialist in Public Health and Community Medicine Dr. Sumal Nandasena explain why public awareness of air quality matters and how AirQuality.LK can help mitigate the impact of poor air quality. Many countries are facing the rising impacts of air pollution, but did you know Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries experience the dual burden of poor air quality? Summary: Many researchers worldwide have acknowledged that it's not a secret that poor air quality has become an enormous issue. Especially in South Asia, this issue has become crucial. This affects not only health but also sectors such as the economy.
- Fossil fuel usage in the industrial sector is growing outdoor pollution.
- Solid fuel in Sri Lanka is high, which causes high indoor pollution.
- Many people are being admitted to hospitals because of the unhealthy gases which are emitted by solid fuel.
One of the most important things that you can do to reduce your exposure to the inhalation of air pollutants into your respiratory systems is to wear masks whenever you go to polluted urban cities, not only in metropolitan areas.
Air pollution is increasingly documented as a threat to public health in most developing countries. Evaluation of current air quality levels, regulatory standards, and scientific literature on outdoor and indoor air pollution, and health effects are important to identify the burden, develop and implement interventions, and fill knowledge gaps in Sri Lanka.
“Prevention is better than cure.”
Dr. Sumal Nandasena