Air pollution is one of the deadliest yet most overlooked public health crises in Vietnam, with more deaths attributed to polluted air than traffic accidents and COVID-19.

A report by the World Health Organization found that in 2016, over 60,000 deaths in Vietnam were due to air pollution-related diseases, including heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pneumonia.

According to the Ministry of Health, over 30,000 people in this Southeast Asian country died each year due to accidental injuries during the 2019-23 period, with traffic accidents being the leading cause.

The Vietnam News Agency cited the National Traffic Safety Committee as reporting that during the first 11 months of 2024, Vietnam recorded over 21,600 traffic accidents, leading to 10,026 deaths and more than 16,100 injuries.

Compared to the same period in 2023, the number of accidents increased by 1,163 cases, or 5.67 percent, but fatalities decreased by 859 people, or 7.89 percent.

Data from the Health Ministry also showed that Vietnam recorded 43,206 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic broke out.

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), nine out of 10 people worldwide are breathing air that exceeds WHO’s recommended pollution limits. 

Every year, air pollution is responsible for approximately seven million deaths globally -- a figure five times higher than traffic accident fatalities and surpassing the official global COVID-19 death toll.

UNEP has identified five of the most dangerous pollutants in the air: PM2.5 fine particulate matter, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, black carbon, and methane. 

Among these, PM2.5 is produced from burning unclean fuels, industrial emissions, traffic, and waste burning.

When inhaled, these microscopic particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease, lung disease, stroke, and cancer.

In addition, exposure to ground-level ozone is estimated to cause 472,000 premature deaths worldwide each year.

A study by Prof. Nguyen Van Phuoc and his team at the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Science and Technology Associations highlighted the alarming impact of air pollution on public health.

Among 1,397 deaths recorded in Ho Chi Minh City in 2017, 841 deaths (60.2 percent) were caused by heart and lung diseases, followed by 483 deaths (34.57 percent) from ischemic heart disease and 73 deaths (5.23 percent) from lung cancer.

The study identified PM2.5 as the deadliest pollutant, responsible for 81.32 percent of air pollution-related deaths, followed by nitrogen dioxide (12.31 percent) and sulfur dioxide (6.37 percent). 

Overall, air pollution accounted for 13.46 percent of total deaths in Ho Chi Minh City.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Vu Van Giap, deputy director of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, emphasized the importance of individual efforts in protecting the environment and reducing exposure to pollutants.

Meanwhile, lawyer Truong Anh Tu, chairman of TAT Law Firm, spotlighted Hanoi’s worsening air pollution crisis and called for stronger enforcement of Vietnam’s 2020 Environmental Protection Law.

Hanoi’s major sources of pollution include dust from roads and construction projects, emissions from traditional craft villages and industrial zones, open waste burning, and fossil fuel-powered vehicles. 

However, monitoring and enforcement efforts are still insufficient, making it difficult to achieve meaningful improvements in air quality, the lawyer said.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Do Duc Duy also confirmed late last year that air pollution has worsened significantly over the past decade in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Addressing a government meeting on January 8, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh announced that the Vietnamese government will launch a national plan to reduce air pollution in major cities this year, focusing on long-term solutions for sustainable urban development.

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