Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/11
By: Chen Yun-lu and Evelyn Kao4

Photo for illustrative purposes only / CNA file photo

Taipei, April 11 (CNA) Taiwan has the fourth highest rate of new traffic-related child asthma cases among 194 nations according to a landmark study, the equivalent of 420 new cases every 100,000 children per year, according to a report in British newspaper The Guardian.

Four million children develop asthma every year as a result of air pollution from cars and trucks, equivalent to 11,000 new cases a day, the newspaper reported, citing a study published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health Wednesday.

The report noted that the damage to children’s health is not limited to China and India, where pollution levels are particularly high. In U.K. and U.S. cities, researchers identified traffic pollution as being responsible for a quarter of all new childhood asthma cases.

By country, Kuwait has the highest per capita rate of new traffic-related asthma cases among the 194 nations analyzed, equivalent to 550 cases every 100,000 children per year, followed by United Arab Emirates (460/100,000) and Canada (450/100,000), according to the research.    [FULL  STORY]