A recent study anchored by a senior pulmonologist from the National Allergy Asthma Bronchitis Institute (NAABI), has revealed that Kolkata has the highest number of asthma cases, especially among children in the age group of 13-14 years, as compared to other major cities in India. To add to the woes, younger children are also feeling breathless!
“We carried out a study involving nearly 3,000 children in the age group of 13 to14 years in Kolkata in 2017-2018 and found that nearly 3.3 per cent city children are suffering from severe asthma which was highest among the nine cities, including Delhi which were sampled,” said Alok Gopal Ghoshal, head of NAABI, who led the study in the city.
Another noted pulmonologist Arup Haldar vindicated the finding. “Earlier, in case of asthma patients, we usually witnessed a family history connect, but now a sizable number of cases are being reported without any family history, and they seem to be first generation asthma patients mainly affected by air pollution,” observed Haldar.
Kolkata’s children have been suffering under continuous exposure to air pollution for more than two decades and the situation has gone from bad to worse.
In 2000, a study carried out by the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute demonstrated that “Children inhaling grossly polluted air of Calcutta (Kolkata) suffer from adverse lung reactions and genetic abnormality in the exposed tissues.” A study by Japanese scientists, published in the European Journal of Public Health in 2020, showed that while the urban children in West Bengal may be influenced by air pollution more; rural children get affected predominantly by indoor air pollution
The Plurals also spoke to a series of paediatrics in the city, and almost all of them pointed out that the number of patients has increased at least 3 to 4-fold since the Nineties. Half of Kolkata’s children population suffers from some kind of respiratory disorders triggered by air pollution. This was mentioned by pulmonologists during a national conference of Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) held in the city some time back.
Huge impact, inadequate data
“The impact of air pollution on children’s lungs has been on the rise of late as kids remain indoors thanks to the Covid pandemic. This has also weakened their immunity system. The impact is huge but we do not have adequate data to deliberate on the scenario,” said Pallab Chatterjee, a paediatrician.
“The air pollution impact on children is increasing both quantitatively and qualitatively; not only are the lungs choking, almost all organs particularly the gastrointestinal tracts and skin are also getting affected,” observed Goutam Ghosh, a paediatrician.
Ghosh pointed out that, due to continuous exposure to air pollution, viral infections are also on the rise compared to allergic infections. “Either the immunity level gets hindered in the affected children or they are becoming hyper immune triggering inflammation and prolonging the ordeal,” he said.
Explaining the scenario, Chatterjee said owing to their height, children are mainly falling prey to the menace as they are more exposed to the pollutants while the dust settles.
“Pollution seems to be triggering several diseases; earlier the common cold and cough were usually cured within a few days, but now children are required to be monitored under the c-pap or get admitted to the ICUs,” he added.
“I treat children in the northern fringes of the city and have witnessed that the number of patients has increased several times in last few decades, but the actual impact, both long and short term, is difficult to be defined in the absence of in-depth data,” explained Subhamoy Mukherjee, a paediatric physician working for more than three decades.
Particulate and virus in tango
“Though there are several factors, predominantly the combination of pollutant particulate and virus, with the earlier acting as carriers, has been triggering the surge of respiratory diseases this year mainly,” said Raja Dhar, a frontline pulmonologist. “In our pulmonology’s ICU section on Thursday, we had 8 patients in the ventilator, which is a rare scenario,” added Dhar who is associated with Calcutta Medical Research Institute and hospital.
Experts pointed out that even newborns and babies in nurseries aren’t being spared.
The situation is likely to remain critical in the early part of 2024 as the city's PM2.5 level, the most toxic pollutant that can penetrate deep into the lungs and trigger a range of diseases, has remained consistently 1.5 times above the national limit around the Christmas festivities. According to the Central Pollution Control Board data, between December 22 and 26, the city’s average PM2.5 level was about 92 micrograms per cubic metre, while the maximum permissible day limit in the country is 60 micrograms.
As Kolkata’s air quality continues to worsen in December and January, patients suffering from respiratory ailments, including children, are already making a beeline for the doctors’ chambers; and the number is likely to increase.
“Kolkata has almost turned into a coughing city, and children are suffering significantly,” said an expert.