Below the Fold - asthma is preventable

The world’s worst humanitarian crisis is still being neglected in mainstream news feeds, even as the situation intensified last week. If you’ve missed what’s going on, here’s a majorly summarized version of what’s happening in Yemen.

• Almost a decade ago, weak country leadership made way for the Houthis, a “rebel” group that has been gradually taking over more of the country.
• In reaction, a coalition was formed to re-establish the government. Formed and led by Saudi Arabia, where the current Yemen president lives, it was supported by Western countries including the U.S.
• Over the years, not only has fighting ensued between the Houthis and Saudi-led coalition, but additional groups have formed amidst the instability — and just about all are accused of war crimes against humanity.
• Calls for ceasefires have also come and gone. Meanwhile, another group is hoping for an entirely independent South Yemen (the north is largely Houthi controlled).

A new study has proven the impact that traffic-related pollution can have on children. Researchers studied global concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at ground level. NO2 is found in tailpipe vehicle emissions, power plants, and industrial sites. They also tracked the global asthma development in children from 2000 to 2019, ultimately finding that roughly 2M new asthma cases develop in children as a result of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) every year.

Past studies have shown how this pollution affects every stage of life, such as one that links air pollution to harm in children still in the womb. Air pollutants can also increase rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, dementia, and even death — numbers pre-pandemic show 10 people die every day in the U.S. from asthma alone.

And access to clean air is more than preventing needless death, it also provides a myriad of benefits — especially for children. This includes healthier lung function development, ability to combat allergies, and better sleep with reduced risk of developing respiratory sleep disorders such as snoring or sleep apnea. Fortunately in the U.S, strict clean air regulation has already resulted in an improvement in the number of pediatric asthma cases, dropping from 20% in 2000 to 16% in 2019.