ঢাকামঙ্গলবার , ২৬ মে ২০২৬
4 June 2025, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Air pollution is not only a health hazard but also a massive economic burden, warned experts at a media workshop hosted by Sunway University.
Shweta Narayan, Campaign Lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance, presented staggering data showing that air pollution cost the world USD 8.1 trillion in 2019 — equivalent to 6.1% of global GDP — primarily due to health-related damages, according to a World Bank report.
“We cannot overstate the scale of the problem,” said Narayan. “Each year, fossil fuel subsidies exceed USD 7 trillion, nearly 7% of global GDP and two-thirds of global annual healthcare spending. In effect, we are spending nearly as much on an industry that harms us as we do to protect public health.”
She emphasized that redirecting these subsidies could generate vast resources for clean energy, health systems, and sustainable societies. “These subsidies are essentially funding harm to human health,” Narayan noted, urging governments and institutions to shift investments toward public health and climate resilience.
Narayan also called on journalists to play a crucial role in climate communication. “Use health narratives and credible data to tell the story. The public deserves to know what’s at stake.”
The workshop, organized by the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, spotlighted the essential roles of media, health professionals, and policymakers in tackling air pollution. With Malaysia frequently facing haze and pollution crises, speakers stressed the need for integrated communication strategies and policy reforms to protect human and planetary health.
