Top Health Expert Says China's Smog "Scarier than SARS"

The sandstorms and recent air pollution to hit China’s eastern cities is raising health concerns. So much so, that a leading health expert has warned that country’s smog problem is “scarier than SARS.” That’s the respiratory virus that killed at least 750 people 10 years ago.

 

Speaking at the National People’s Congress last week, the president of the China Medical Association, Dr. Zhong Nanshan, issued the dire warning. 

 

He said unlike SARS, there is no quarantine from harmful particles in smog. 

 

Citing a report by the World Health Organization, Zhong said even the city with the cleanest air in China ranks in the bottom 20% worldwide. 

 

Currently, China’s lung cancer rate is the highest in the world. Zhang says if pollution continues unchecked, the number of patients could increase exponentially. 

 

Last December, conservation group Greenpeace reported that more than 8,500 people died prematurely in four major Chinese cities in 2012 from the harmful air pollutant, PM2.5.

 

Zhong blamed the Chinese regime pursuit of GDP for the air pollution. He suggested that local authorities should be evaluated not just on economic growth, but also how well they can reduce smog.