Actions such as reducing air and noise pollution, increasing green areas and reducing temperature would prevent 11,372 deaths a year in the city of São Paulo.
This is what a study conducted by a doctoral student at the Global Institute of Health and the University of Pompeu Fabra, in Spain, Evelise Pereira Barboza, points out.
The more than 11,000 deaths are equivalent to 17% of the total number of victims from natural causes in the municipality’s adult population, according to data from the Mortality Information System.
In an interview with CNN RadioEvelise explained that the combination of high pollution with few green spaces, as observed in the capital of São Paulo, affects “different organs of the body and is related to different diseases, such as cancer and cardiorespiratory problems.”
“The increase in green areas, for example, promotes the improvement of biological immunity, cognitive evolution and even mental health. Temperature is linked to mortality, especially in people over 60,” he added.
To reach the final result, the study used the method of comparative evaluation with regard to the impact on health. “We compared the current situation with a hypothetical scenario, combined with other surveys, such as the pollution levels recommended by the World Health Organization.”
Evelise admits that, to reverse the current situation, there are “more expensive policies and cheaper ones”: “How to promote the reduction of pollutant emission sources, decentralization of commercial work centers, increase bike paths – and the connectivity and safety between them .”
Source: CNN Brasil
