Life-years lost attributable to air, water and earth pollution in Asia and Pacific countries, 2000–2019

Environmental risk factors are a growing global concern. This study quantifies the life-years lost (LYL) attributable to different types of pollution in Asia and Pacific countries (APAC) between 2000 and 2019. Data were obtained from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Results indicate that people in Southern Asia lost the highest number of years due to all types of pollution among the APAC subregions. Eastern Asia, Oceania and Western Asia had the lowest life-years lost due to water, earth and air pollution, respectively. The number of years lost due to air and water pollution decreased during the studied period, while those due to earth pollution increased in several countries. Eastern, Central, and South-Eastern Asia showed considerable declines in LYL due to air pollution, while Oceania and Southern Asia experienced slower declines. Focusing on LYL from earth pollution, Oceania saw the largest decrease, whereas Southern Asia experienced an increase. Overall, the pace of decline in LYL attributed to the different pollutants showed similar trends of decline in most countries. Further public health research is needed to better understand the effects of different pollutants on populations, particularly in the most affected areas, and to guide future interventions.