Health is the highest law

In spite of the government's promises of action, people continue to be exposed to severe traffic pollution, especially dense particulate (soot) pollution emitted by buses.

Malta's high level of pollution has been confirmed by air quality monitoring. In spite of this no steps have been taken to reduce this threat to the health of the nation. The EU estimates that pollution is responsible for the loss of about four million life-years every year and expressed alarm that children are especially susceptible to air pollution.

Pollution is both preventable and unnecessary. People have a human right to health and this right has to be protected. The complacency of Malta's Health Department in the face of such pollution is difficult to comprehend. The situation demands urgent attention; to continue to ignore the findings will be an irresponsible dereliction of the duty of the Government.

The evidence from numerous large-scale scientific studies led the World Health Organisation and the UK Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) to conclude that exposure to particulate air pollution is an important environmental risk factor for excess mortality from cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer. These surveys included the American Cancer Society survey, a study in large population groups in Canada, a long-term US survey (Harvard Six Cities Study) and a large number of other scientific studies, many of them in Europe.

Overall, these studies showed that exposure to traffic pollution (especially with "particulate matter") is associated with a higher frequency of lung cancer, cardiopulmonary mortality and all-cause mortality. One major study found a 26 per cent increase in premature mortality. Another study showed that people exposed to traffic pollution from living close to congested roads had a higher rate of early death.

Pollution has also been shown to exert a particularly harmful effect on the health of growing children. In addition to the threat from asthma, an important consequence of exposure to air pollution is stunted lung development in growing children. A survey in Malta demonstrated that the prevalence of asthma or asthma-like symptoms in Fgura were among the highest ever recorded internationally.

In practical terms, continuing inaction over Malta's high levels of pollution means that those exposed to toxic emissions from heavy traffic are destined to live months or even years less than their expected life-span. The health of growing children is also being compromised. Furthermore, it can be confidently expected that we will witness an increase in cancer rates in the coming years; this applies especially to those living in densely built-up areas subject to heavy traffic.

The most urgently required measure is to address the copious emission of black smoke by buses and many other diesel-engine vehicles on the streets. This black smoke is rich in invisible fine soot particles ("particulates") which remain suspended in the air and are inhaled. This is extremely harmful to health as proved scientifically by the surveys referred to above. Buses must be inspected and the cause for the emission of smoke determined and eliminated. Other vehicles on the road, which are seen to emit smoke, must be henceforth dealt with severely.

In addition, steps must be taken to encourage the purchase of truly fuel-efficient, less polluting cars and discourage excessive car use. The new annual road tax bands do not provide sufficient incentives to encourage use and purchase of small, fuel-economical, cars. The new registration and road tax rates as published in the press (but not available on the Transport Authority website) will not help achieve this objective because small cars with an estimated CO2 emission rate of under 120g/km (and correspondingly low fuel pollution) are not favoured enough by fiscal incentives.

The Maltese public cannot afford to wait any longer for decisive action to reduce emissions. While plans are discussed and decided, direct and immediate action must be taken to curb the circulation of offending vehicles. Anything less would make the authorities parti-cipants in the process of undermining the nation's health. Other more broad-based holistic actions to reduce street pollution must follow.