There are millions of people that have respiratory problems, including asthma, living all over the world, but life is definitely harder for them in these 11 worst countries for people with asthma.
As you may know, asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. People with this condition often wheeze, cough, encounter chest tightness and are short of breath. They may even need inhalers to improve their condition.
While part of the reasons behind asthma are genetic, there are also various environmental factors at play, both as a source of the illness and as a way to keep the illness active. What it boils down to is that people with asthma have a hard time when faced with various factors that people without this disease have no issues with, including cigarette smoke, regular allergens and pollution.
The causes of asthma, however, remain complex and not one particular thing can be pinpointed as the unique cause of it. It is generally accepted that in order to manage this disease you have to protect yourself as best as you can, whether that’s by breathing in clean air, staying away from second-hand tobacco smoke or quitting smoking, or making sure you live in an environment that’s as clean as possible.
In order to create our list today we took a look at the 11 worst countries that are responsible for global warming due to their high CO2 emissions, as well as the countries that are most polluted, the nations with the most impure air, as well as the nations that have an extremely low access to sanitation, a report created by WHO and Unicef. We handed out points according to their rankings and then added in some extra points if they have any kind of anti-smoking laws, even if they’re local or only regard public spaces; the more expensive the law, the lower the points. Without further ado, here are the 11 worst countries for people with asthma.
11. South Sudan
Score – 11
The issue with South Sudan is mostly the same as with Chad – it’s not the pollutants that are in the air that are putting the nation on this list, but rather the lack of sanitation methods. In fact, the country ranks last when it comes to this topic, with only 7 percent of the inhabitants having access to proper sanitation methods.
Thankfully, however, a couple of years ago, the South Sudanese government handed out a law banning smoking in public places, although implementation leaves something to be desired.
10. Iran
Score – 12
If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, you’re in bad luck if you live in Iran. That’s because the country ranks pretty high up among the nations that release the most CO2 into the atmosphere. In fact, Iran’s carbon emissions reach 618 million tonnes each year and if things aren’t going to improve, people with asthma aren’t the only ones that will have to worry about things since the entire Iranian coast, alongside Qatar, Dubai and nearby areas will become unlivable.
The country’s air impurity levels are also quite high. According to data coming from the World Health Organization, Iran ranks fifth among the nations with the most polluted air. Thankfully, however, Iran has anti-smoking bills in place, with smoking being banned in all public places, as well as in cars. People under the age of 18 are also prohibited from buying tobacco products.
9. India
Score – 12
Asthma patients aren’t doing that much better in India either. Of course, since we’re talking about such a massive country, we’re sure there are plenty of areas where the air is a bit friendlier to patients. However, the reality remains that India is one of the largest contributors to global warming due to its high emissions of CO2, namely some 2.3 billion tonnes in 2014 alone.
The air impurity levels in India are also pretty high, with numbers placing it on the ninth place. In fact, six of the top 10 cities with high air pollution were in India, with Delhi placing first with a PM2.5 rate of 153 ug/m3.
Thankfully, India has banned smoking in public places and has had these laws for a while now. Televised advertising for tobacco products is also prohibited.
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8. Chad
Score – 14
With Chad it’s not so much about how polluted the air is, but rather the lack of sanitation, as only about 12 percent of the country’s inhabitants have regular access to proper sanitation methods.
On the other hand, people in Chad are at least somewhat protected from cigarette smoke as smoking has been prohibited in all indoor public places, workplaces and public transportation, while tobacco advertising has been prohibited. At the very least this should help those who suffer from asthma.
7. Egypt
Score – 16
Having asthma and living in Egypt isn’t all that great. First of all, the country’s air is quite polluted. According to data from the World Health Organization, Egypt ranks sixth among the countries with the highest air impurity levels. This happens mostly due to the climbing number of cars, but also the developing industries in the country. According to data, Cairo’s pollution levels are 20 times than the safety levels. Numbeo’s numbers regarding the pollution index for 2015 also place Egypt on the third spot.
Egypt has prohibited smoking in public places, such as health and educational facilities, government buildings, as well as sporting and social clubs. Tobacco advertising is also banned.
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6. Bangladesh
Score – 17
With air impurity levels that rank Bangladesh on the fourth spot among the countries with the dirtiest air, it’s no surprise that people with asthma have a hard time in this country. Data from WHO also indicates that Bangladesh is the fourth most polluted country in the world, with three cities among the 25 most polluted in the world.
At the very least, however, Bangladesh is part of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and has prohibited smoking in indoor public places and workplaces. Public transportation is also a no-go for smoking, unless there are more rooms than one to the vehicle, in which case there might be specially designed smoking rooms.
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5. Ghana
Score – 17
Data from Numbeo indicates that Ghana is the most polluted country in the world, although it should be mentioned that data is based on surveys of visitors on the website, so its placement should be taken with a grain of salt.
Another thing that makes Ghana a bad place for those suffering from asthma is the low sanitation levels. According to a report published by WHO and Unicef, Ghana places seventh among the world’s countries with only 15 percent of the population having access to proper sanitation levels.
Public smoking has been banned in Ghana for a while now, but that’s not such a big issues since very few locals actually smoke. Some researches indicate the number sits at about 6 percent, but like most statistics there’s some room for error.
4. China
Score – 18
Among all countries in the world, China is the one that sends the most CO2 into the atmosphere, which helps create such a polluted atmosphere that there are areas where citizens don’t see the sky for days in a row. With 10.5 billion tonnes CO2 emissions in 2014, China tops the list no one wants to. To make matters worse, there are an estimated 1.6 million premature deaths every year due to air pollution in this country.
China’s many administrative regions have various laws regarding smoking. For the most part, however, they’ve banned smoking in public so that should work towards protecting those with respiratory problems to some extent.
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3. Mongolia
Score – 19
While Mongolia may have a really rich history, it’s not doing so well in protecting its people’s health, at least not where asthma is involved. Numbeo ranks Mongolia as the second most polluted nation, while a report from WHO indicates that Mongolia ranks seventh on the chart of the nations with the dirtiest air. This is mostly due to the climbing industries in the country, namely construction, mining and oil production.
The anti-smoking legislation is slim in Mongolia, although there are some rules in place in bigger cities where you’re not allowed to smoke near government buildings.
2. Afghanistan
Score – 19
Having asthma in Afghanistan isn’t such a great thing. On top of the climate that’s not going to do any wonders for the suffering, the country ranks third among the world’s countries with the dirtiest air. It also ranked the third among the countries with the most polluted air, mostly due to the burning of plastic as fuel in areas surrounded by high mountains.
The country has been a member of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control since 2010 and has apparently voted some laws against public smoking back in 2014. This should make things a bit better for those with asthma, but it’s not going to improve things by a lot.
1. Qatar
Score – 24
Those who suffer from asthma must have a really hard time in Qatar. On top of the fact that it is situated in a very arid area, Qatar also has issues with pollution. In fact, WHO puts the country on the second place among the world’s most polluted states, with the worst of it all being in Doha, Qatar’s capital, which is ranked the 12th most polluted city in the world.
As far as smoking goes, Qatar has some laws set in place regarding public smoking, but enforcement of these laws are reportedly lax. Therefore, while legislation might have been set down, it’s only for the show since there’s no backing for it. Either way, Qatar makes the top of the list for the 11 worst countries for people with asthma.
