NEWS reports on Friday said that people living in closer proximity of heavy traffic zones or on highways are exposed to higher risk of dementia; which lead to memory loss and other neurological troubles. A media reports on Friday said quoting new Canadian study findings that heavy noise is likely to cause many form of brain disorder. The people living far away from noisy traffic zones with more fresh air face less risk of infections affecting brains and memories.
We know that traffic noise and air pollutants create many killers’ diseases. This is why environmentalist groups in developed countries seriously oppose construction of new roads and airports in and around the city on health ground. Governments puts sound resistant walls on the side of busy roads and highways at many places to protect people from noise and air pollutants. But most people living on roadside in Bangladesh are exposed to such noise and pollution without remedial steps to save them. Even we don’t have the necessary public awareness, which should have come from concerned government authorities; The NGOs can also play a role about it.
Alzheimer’s disease, which causes damage to brain cells and human memory, their thinking behaviour, navigational and spatial abilities to perform everyday activities are some other serious problems that can possibly more affect a man or woman living in noisy areas. It also increases the risk of heart disease, cardio-vascular and diabetic problems. Since growing noise from construction of roads, buildings and other infrastructure is staggering over greater areas in Bangladesh, risk to life and public health is also exponentially growing with it.
The new findings linking growing noise with such diseases have come as eye opener to many researchers who believe much of the findings are still speculative, but they don’t disclaim it either. Infections to brain from air pollutants are a highly alarming finding for public health. The people of Bangladesh are equally becoming vulnerable to such infections as density of people living in busy city areas and around roads and highways are growing.
Lancet medical journal report said that people who live within 50 meters (55 yards) of high-traffic roads had a 7.0 percent higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who lived more than 300 meters away from busy roadways. WHO estimates the number of people with dementia all over the world in 2015 at 47.5 million, and their number is growing.
We must say, with rapid urbanization and growing density of people the risk to public health is only growing from factors like traffic noise and air pollution that never captured our thinking in the past. But we can’t avoid it any more.
We know that traffic noise and air pollutants create many killers’ diseases. This is why environmentalist groups in developed countries seriously oppose construction of new roads and airports in and around the city on health ground. Governments puts sound resistant walls on the side of busy roads and highways at many places to protect people from noise and air pollutants. But most people living on roadside in Bangladesh are exposed to such noise and pollution without remedial steps to save them. Even we don’t have the necessary public awareness, which should have come from concerned government authorities; The NGOs can also play a role about it.
Alzheimer’s disease, which causes damage to brain cells and human memory, their thinking behaviour, navigational and spatial abilities to perform everyday activities are some other serious problems that can possibly more affect a man or woman living in noisy areas. It also increases the risk of heart disease, cardio-vascular and diabetic problems. Since growing noise from construction of roads, buildings and other infrastructure is staggering over greater areas in Bangladesh, risk to life and public health is also exponentially growing with it.
The new findings linking growing noise with such diseases have come as eye opener to many researchers who believe much of the findings are still speculative, but they don’t disclaim it either. Infections to brain from air pollutants are a highly alarming finding for public health. The people of Bangladesh are equally becoming vulnerable to such infections as density of people living in busy city areas and around roads and highways are growing.
Lancet medical journal report said that people who live within 50 meters (55 yards) of high-traffic roads had a 7.0 percent higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who lived more than 300 meters away from busy roadways. WHO estimates the number of people with dementia all over the world in 2015 at 47.5 million, and their number is growing.
We must say, with rapid urbanization and growing density of people the risk to public health is only growing from factors like traffic noise and air pollution that never captured our thinking in the past. But we can’t avoid it any more.
