The smoke from the forest fires in Bolivia shows that even if you are miles away from the fire; equally, we are feeling the consequences because this silent enemy knows no borders and has an indiscriminate impact.
PM 2.5 particles are smaller and finer than a human hair and can enter the bloodstream. This pollution is estimated to cause around seven million premature deaths worldwide each year.
In Bolivia, data on health effects are just beginning. The department recently conducted a study in Cochabamba Hospital in 2023 that monitored the incidence of air pollution-related visits.
The most common illnesses include respiratory illnesses, bacterial pneumonia, watery pharyngitis, and bronchitis.
What to do in the face of this threat? Some countries have policies in place to try to achieve cleaner air by controlling traditional sources of pollution such as vehicles and industry. Also, about the fires that destroy life on Earth every year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidance on keeping the air clean. In Europe, there are suggestions that it should be considered a human right.
Toxic haze has blanketed much of Bolivia’s cities due to fires in the Amazon, forcing school closures and the evacuation of families in the east.
Therefore, it is imperative to protect clean air and respond to this threat in a different way: avoiding burning, not just extinguishing fires.