Air pollution is a serious public health issue in South and South East Asia, causing 1.5 million deaths annually in the region.
This new study – Hazy Perceptions – from Vital Strategies finds many people misunderstand the main sources of air pollution.
It also found people focus on short-term events such as haze episodes and personal protection measures – like wearing masks, while long-term air pollution, often invisible and odorless, is a bigger health threat.
The report calls for informative communications campaigns to highlight air pollution sources and its long-term health impacts.