Air pollution kills 15,000 people a year in Bangladesh

Asian Economic News, Feb 12, 2001

DHAKA, Feb. 7 Kyodo

As many as 15,000 deaths, a million cases of sickness requiring medical treatment and 850 million cases of minor illness can be avoided annually if pollution levels in the four largest cities in Bangladesh are reduced to developed world standards, according to a World Bank report.

Jitendra Shah, a senior World Bank environmental expert, told reporters Tuesday that the economic cost of these avoidable deaths and sickness is estimated at $200 to $800 per year in Bangladesh.

Due to a rapid growth of automobile traffic in Bangladesh cities in recent year, the World Bank has identified the reduction of urban air pollution and related health impacts as a development objective for Bangladesh.

Air pollution levels in Dhaka are considerably higher than World Health Organization guidelines for residential areas, according to World Bank environmental experts.