More than ten million Thais required medical treatment due to health problems linked to air pollution in 2023, a government agency said, calling for more action from authorities.
“According to data from the Ministry of Health, in 2023, the number of patients with diseases linked to air pollution is 10.5 million,” said the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), in a report released Monday.
“Priority must be placed on the impact of fine PM2.5 particles on public health,” the authors noted.
The Southeast Asian kingdom is suffocating due to stubble burning, industrial air emissions and vehicle emissions, which cause pollution to peak during the first months of the year.
The capital Bangkok experienced a new severe episode of air pollution in mid-February which led the town hall to ask its employees to work from home for two days. The city of around six million intramural inhabitants, popular with tourists, then appeared among the most polluted on the planet.
Since the start of 2024, some 1.6 million people have required medical treatment for health problems linked to air pollution, according to the Ministry of Health.
Affected populations include people previously suffering from chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, asthma and heart disease.
Fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) are considered very harmful because they penetrate deep into the lungs.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, in power since last summer, has promised to take measures to combat air pollution.