In 1952, the first smog warning was issued after cold weather and heavy pollution. In the following decades, as more people migrated to cities and industries released more pollutants into the atmosphere, Smog became an everyday occurrence. This winter in Pakistan is proving to be one of the most polluted ever – with air quality levels at their worst since 2005; hospitals are struggling to deal with the health impacts on their patients.
As part of our Healthy Cities project, we've been taking a closer look at how hospitals in Pakistan are responding to these issues. We spoke with Dr. Mohammad Iqbal from Pakistan's leading trauma hospital, Jinnah Hospital, located in Karachi. Here he shares his thoughts about Smog and its impact on human health: "Smog is a major problem for respiratory patients. It triggers asthma by causing inflammation of the bronchial tubes and often leads to chest infections."
We also spoke to Dr. Sobia.
What is Smog?
Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog and has been an issue for many years. It's caused by air pollution from vehicles and industrial emissions that consist of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter.
Smog can affect everything from your respiratory system to your mood. The Smog outside in Karachi is affecting the hospital environment too: "There are many patients who have asthma or bronchitis," explained Dr. Iqbal. "The smog affects their breathing because it triggers inflammation in the bronchial tubes."
Pakistan's battle to fight against Smog
Pakistan has been battling against Smog for decades. This winter, smog levels are at their worst for years, with air quality levels at their worst since 2005.
Hospitals are struggling to deal with the health impacts this has on patients. Here's what Pakistan's leading trauma hospital, Jinnah Hospital, had to say about how it's coping with Smog:
"Smog is a major problem for respiratory patients. It triggers asthma by causing inflammation of the bronchial tubes and often leads to chest infections."
We also spoke to Dr. Sobia, who works in the emergency department; she told us that "smog causes irritation in our eyes and throat, but most importantly it causes inflammation in the lungs which leads to chest infections among other things."
The effects of pollution are not just physical. The World Health Organisation estimates that 3 million deaths every year can be attributed to air pollution.
And if that wasn't enough, WHO also claims that there is no safe level of PM2.5 air pollution particles – these fumes can be found in emissions from coal-fired power plants and vehicles as well as wildfires.
Furthermore, WHO has now classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic (cancer-causing) like
The effect of Smog on human health
"Smog is a major problem for respiratory patients. It triggers asthma by causing inflammation of the bronchial tubes and often leads to chest infections."
We spoke to Dr. Sobia, an orthopedic surgeon in Karachi, about Smog and its impact on human health: "Most of my patients are suffering from asthmatic problems.
They come in with breathing difficulties, and when we check their lungs, we find that they have many small and large holes in their lungs, and the pollution causes this."
She also said, "kids who play outside in smog may develop lung cancer or other respiratory diseases later in their life."
The data backs up these concerns: according to Pakistan's top doctor, Dr. Afia Nishtar, more than 600 people die each day from air pollution-related causes.
Dr Mohammad Iqbal, Jinnah Hospital
"An increase in the number of patients with respiratory diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia are witnessed lately. The increase in air pollution is causing more than one million chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) per year in Pakistan."
Smog worsens respiratory conditions.
Smog can trigger asthma by causing inflammation in the bronchial tubes. It often leads to chest infections and exacerbates chronic lung conditions like COPD.
Dr. Sobia told us that they are seeing an increase in COPD patients. Dr. Iqbal added that Smog also causes malnourishment because it reduces the lungs' amount of oxygen during breathing.
Adding to that, he said, "This will make people more susceptible to infections by affecting their immunity greatly."
It's not just the population living in cities who are at risk from breathing polluted air - smogs can travel hundreds of miles into rural areas too.
According to a study published last year by scientists at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, smog travels upwards into the atmosphere where winds carry it into rural areas, sometimes even reaching places up to 600 miles away from its source city.
Pakistan is struggling with Smog this winter
The World Health Organization estimates that
Dr. Sobia, Karachi Hospitals
"The most common health effects which are seen in patients having chronic respiratory diseases, for instance, asthma and COPD include:
- Exacerbation of symptoms
- Chest pain and tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Coughing and wheezing
"Smog is a major problem for respiratory patients. It triggers asthma by causing inflammation of the bronchial tubes and often leads to chest infections."
Conclusion
As more and more Pakistanis struggle to breathe, hospitals are fighting back.
Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, Jinnah Hospital, spoke about the difficulty of admitting patients with chest infections, "We did not have to deal with this kind of situation before. Now, we are seeing an increase of these kinds of diseases."
Dr. Sobia, Karachi Hospitals, spoke about the difficulty of diagnosing respiratory diseases in children, "We cannot do anything for these children. So many children are coming in with these symptoms during this season."
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