Air pollution caused by fires has been linked to more than 1.5 million deaths per year around the world, according to an article published on Thursday in medical journal The Lancet.

The countries with the highest death tolls linked to fire-related air pollution were China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia and Nigeria.

The number of deaths is expected to increase in the coming years as climate change leads to more frequent and intense forest fires, according to the paper.

Fires linked to heart, respiratory problems

During the 2000-2019 period examined, researchers noted 450,000 yearly deaths related to heart problems that were linked to air pollution.

An additional 220,000 deaths were thought to be caused by respiratory illnesses related to smoke and particles that fires emit into the air.

According to the study, over 90% of the total 1.53 million deaths caused by air pollution were in low or middle-income countries. Nearly 40% of them were in sub-Saharan Africa.

'Urgent action' needed

The authors of the study called for "urgent action" to face the issue of pollution-related deaths and stressed the "climate injustice" suffered by poorer countries.

Last week, wealthier countries at the UN climate conference COP29 agreed to offer climate finance worth $300 billion (€284.4 billion) a year by 2035, which was far lower than developing countries had hoped for.

Also in November, research from Germany's University of Bonn and Brazil's Federal University of Minas Gerais showed that policies to disincentivize Amazon deforestation lead to better health outcomes.

Fire and smog crises

South Asia was engulfed by toxic smog earlier this month, causing widespread flight delays and forcing schools in and around India's capital, New Delhi, to close.

Officials blamed the pollution on a combination of seasonal crop burning, vehicle emissions and industrial activity.

Last week, the government of Ecuador declared a 60-day national emergency due to forest fires.

Officials said that the Andean country was grappling with 13 active wildfires and a severe drought.

sdi/zc (AFP, EFE)