28 medical and environmental organisations have called upon the government to come up with serious measures to improve local air quality.
The organisations said that recent studies show that on average in Malta more than 500 people die prematurely every year due to air pollution alone and Maltese citizens reported the worst exposure to pollution according to a 2017 Eurostat study. Air pollution fell drastically during the COVID-19 outbreak restrictions in Malta and so did asthma attacks, possibly due to both decrease in air pollution and restrictive measures, said the organisations. Another local hazard is ship pollution with studies showing how a Mediterranean Emission Control Area (ECA) could prevent up to 6,000 lives annually in the region.
Source: MaltaToday
Updated 17:10
