Dhaka's air quality remains in the 'moderate' zone, with an AQI score of 81 recorded at 8:55 am today, placing it 17th on the global list of cities with the poorest air quality. Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Santiago in Chile, and Lahore in Pakistan lead the list with AQI scores of 181, 181, and 137 respectively.

Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution issues, typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season. Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for premature death and disability worldwide.

According to the State of Global Air report, produced in collaboration with UNICEF, air pollution is now the second leading global risk factor for premature death. In 2021, it contributed to 8.1 million deaths worldwide and caused debilitating chronic diseases affecting millions more.

Children under five are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, with over 700,000 deaths in this age group attributed to air pollution in 2021 alone, according to the report.

The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution leads to approximately seven million deaths annually globally, primarily due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.