Ulaanbaatar
Women discussing potential risk of exposure to air pollution on maternal and child health
Society
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ It is urgent to protect maternal and child health, who are the most vulnerable to adverse health effects of air pollution, until the policies on reducing air pollution bring its results, stressed attendees of the forum ‘Through the Eyes of Women: Air pollution and Maternal and Child Health’’ which commenced yesterday, May 8.
2017 joint study report by the UNICEF and the National Institute for Public Health reviews that one in five people who died with pneumonia in the capital are children under 5.
Moreover, air pollution affects fetal lung, respiratory system and brain development and causes risks for reduced fetal growth, stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight and birth defect. According to the UNICEF study, a 3.5-fold increase in fetal deaths has been documented between winter and summer.
Therefore, participants of the 13th forum aims to see potential risks of exposition to air pollution on maternal and child health and impact and consequences on quality of life, discuss and define multilateral solutions considering different need and factors of people and influence to the Government policy.
At the forum, the attendees are clarifying challenges in fulfilling objectives reflected in Mongolia Sustainable Development Vision 2030, discussing whether policy and funding related to reducing air pollution are targeting to reducing effects and risk on mothers and children and making analysis on the implementation.
The forum will wrap up today.
