Slow death

While the average life expectancy rate in South Asia hovers between 70-72, with some countries like Sri Lanka even nearing the 80-mark, Pakistan continues to land in the 60s since the early 1990s. A gradual surge in particulate pollution over this century’s first decade has already reduced life expectancy in Pakistan by 1.5 years. Now, according to the latest Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report, the second decade threatens to further reduce it by up to four years across the country — and even up to seven years in grossly polluted regions including Lahore, Kasur and Sheikhupura.

The advent of biotechnology combined with relatively improved sanitation and immunisation practices have undoubtedly pushed Pakistan’s life expectancy rate up to the late 60s, but the enduring layer of dust and soot in urban cities threatens to undo decades of progress.

Greater life expectancy must not be viewed from a singular lens of increased number of years in a person’s life. Rather, it equates to better physical and mental health across the population in general. According to an estimate by the International Longevity Centre UK, a one-year loss in life expectancy equates to a 2.5-year loss in healthy years on average. Therefore, a four-year loss would equate to a 10-year loss in healthy years.

Physical health may seem like a personal goal to many who view how active an elderly person is as a result of their daily walks and clean eating habits. But many socioeconomic factors determine the efficacy of such habits, including ease of access to healthcare and a pollutant-free environment, which translates to healthier whole foods as well. There is only so much a person can do individually, without the government’s attention to its country’s health. But beyond that, active measures must be taken to safeguard a human’s basic right: health.