Child deaths linked to air pollution have reached crisis levels in Bangladesh, turning into what researchers describe as a ‘silent epidemic’, according to a new international study by Zero Carbon Analytics.
The report titled ‘Structural dependencies perpetuate disproportionate childhood health burden from air pollution’, released late Wednesday, warns that toxic air is now the second leading cause of death among children under five worldwide, after malnutrition.
More than a quarter of all deaths in this age group are tied to polluted air, with Bangladesh among the hardest-hit nations.
The study finds that children in the least developed countries face a 94 times higher risk of dying from air pollution than those in developed countries, due to long-standing dependence on fossil fuels, unregulated industries and pollution causing infrastructure.
‘Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to children’s health in Bangladesh,’ said Dr Sajid Hossain Khan, a physician at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital.
‘Clean air is as essential as clean water. Unless decisive action is taken, we will continue losing children to preventable diseases,’ he said.
The study estimates that over 19,000 under five children died in the country in 2021 due to air pollution—nearly two every hour.
Researchers identified household smoke, brick kilns, coal-fired power plants, and vehicle emissions as the main culprits.
Rapid urbanisation—fuelled by the influx of climate migrants—has driven an explosion in brick kiln construction around Dhaka and other cities, making PM2.5 pollution one of the gravest risks for children’s lungs, according to the report.
Bangladesh also lags behind its Asian peers regarding access to clean cooking technologies.
The use of wood, dung and coal for cooking is contaminating indoor air, bringing severe effects on pregnant women and children.
Mothers using high-polluting fuels face a 2.6 times higher risk of giving birth to low-weight babies, while newborns in such households are four times more likely to die.
Children aged 3–5 years exposed to solid fuel smoke face a 47 per cent higher risk of delayed cognitive development, the report notes.
Between 2018 and 2022, the world spent an average of $593 billion annually on fossil fuel subsidies, while less than 1 per cent of that was directed towards combating air pollution, the report said.
‘This imbalance strengthens pollution-dependent systems while worsening child health,’ said Joanne Bentley-McKune, the report’s lead researcher.
‘Air pollution is not merely an environmental concern—it is a matter of justice. Children are dying because of energy systems they did not create,’ he further notes.
The study calls for an urgent energy transition in Bangladesh, including upgrading brick kiln technology and promoting clean cooking stoves.
Researchers estimate that full adoption of clean cooking methods could prevent more than 16,000 child deaths every year, saving far more in health costs than the investments required.
Experts say that Bangladesh’s growing air pollution crisis reflects a failure of enforcement and political will.
Unless fossil fuel dependence is broken, they warn, the country’s youngest citizens will continue to pay the price with their lives.
