site.btaPolluted Air Kills 11,000 in Bulgaria Every Year - Experts

According to the World Health Organization, polluted air causes 11,000 deaths a year in Bulgaria, said Elena Tsoneva-Papudjieva of Patient Portal Ltd. during a press conference at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia on Wednesday, World Lung Day.

The press conference brought together experts from the healthcare and NGO sectors, among whom pulmonology and phthisiology consultant at the National Health Insurance Fund and St. Anna University Hospital in Sofia Dr Kosta Kostov, allergist Dr Tihomir Mustakov of the Bulgarian Society of Allergology, head of the Bulgarian Society of Cardiology Dr Vasil Traykov, head of the Bulgarian Stroke Organisation Dr Rosen Kalpachki.

According to the Association Air for Health, improving air quality can reduce deaths from diabetes by 18%, deaths from coronary artery disease by 14%, stroke deaths by 15% and mortality rate among newborns by 6%.

As a step towards improving air quality, Sofia joined the Car-Free Day European initiative on September 22.