Global biomass fires and infant mortality.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Global Health

Background:

• Outdoor biomass burning is a major air pollutant, particularly impacting low- and middle-income countries.
• Recent trends show significant changes in biomass burning extent, with notable declines in Africa.
• Direct evidence linking biomass burning to global health impacts, especially infant mortality, is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the association between outdoor biomass burning and infant mortality globally.
• To estimate the number of infant deaths attributable to biomass fires.
• To assess the potential impact of reducing biomass burning on infant mortality rates.

Main Methods:

• Utilized georeferenced data from over 2 million births.
• Matched birth data with satellite-derived burned area exposure.
• Applied model estimates to harmonized district-level data covering 98% of global infant deaths (2004-2018).

Main Results:

• Each additional square kilometer of burning correlated with nearly a 2% increase in infant mortality in downwind areas.
• Biomass fires were associated with approximately 130,000 additional infant deaths globally per year (2004-2018).
• Despite declines in Africa, 75% of these deaths occurred on the continent.

Conclusions:

• Outdoor biomass burning poses a significant threat to infant survival globally.
• Achievable reductions in biomass burning could prevent tens of thousands of infant deaths annually.
• Targeted interventions to reduce biomass burning are crucial for improving global infant health outcomes.