Meeting clean air targets could curb the diabetes burden in Bangladesh

Air pollution may play a significant role in Bangladesh’s rapidly growing diabetes burden, according to a new nationally representative study that finds that air pollution increases diabetes risk among adults.

In our study of 13,965 adults, published in the prestigious international journal Science of the Total Environment, we found that Bangladesh’s annual average PM₂.₅ concentration, approximately 70 micrograms per cubic metre, is among the highest globally and far exceeds both national standards and World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines. Currently, about 16 percent of Bangladeshi adults live with diabetes, highlighting the scale of the public health challenge we are facing.

We discovered that each 10 microgram per cubic metre increase in long-term PM₂.₅ exposure was associated with a 10 percent higher risk of diabetes. We also found that urban residents, women, older adults, and individuals with obesity or hypertension were particularly vulnerable to the air pollution-related risk of diabetes.

Our analysis further estimates that between 4.6 and 7.5 percent of diabetes cases nationwide could be prevented if Bangladesh were able to meet its national clean air target of 15 µg/m³ per year or the WHO interim air quality guideline of 35 µg/m³. We observed that the largest potential health gains would be seen among urban residents, women, older adults, and those with obesity or hypertension.

Districts with heavy industrial activity and dense populations, such as Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, and Munshiganj, are likely to benefit most from improved air quality, with substantial potential reductions in the diabetes burden. While diabetes is often associated with lifestyle factors, the study highlights air pollution as an underrecognised risk factor. Long-term PM2.5 exposure may increase the risk of diabetes through inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired insulin function, underscoring air pollution control as a critical public health intervention.

The writer is a doctoral candidate in environmental epidemiology at McGill University, Canada, and led this research. 
Email: juwel.rana@mail.mcgill.ca