• A study conducted by authors of the Department of Public Health and Mortality Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, combines data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 5 and the Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies model to estimate the effect of both household and ambient air pollution on mortality rates in India. 

• The study found that:

1. The odds of Neonatal, post-neonatal, and Child deaths are significantly higher in areas with PM2.5 levels above the recommended threshold by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

2. The odds ratio of Neonatal, Postneonatal, and Child deaths at >40μg/m3  PM2.5 was higher [1.86 (1.418–2.433), 2.04 (1.399–2.971), and 2.19 (0.999–4.803)], respectively, considering the PM2.5 at 0-10μg/m3  as the reference.

3. The neonatal, child, and adult death rates were high with PM2.5 >40μg/m3, i.e., ambient air pollution alone without Household air pollution.

4. Neonatal, postneonatal, child and adult deaths were substantially higher with ambient and household air pollution.

5. A negative association was seen between unclean fuel use and adult mortality rates. 

• The author explains that although there has been a high uptake of cleaner fuel as a source of cooking following the “Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana,” a substantial proportion of households of lower socioeconomic strata did not refill after first usage due to cost issues. 

• Hence, in the NFHS-5 survey, based on their response, they have been classified as using cleaner fuels, but in reality, they might be using unclean fuel sources.

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