ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE 2025
Infrastructure, Policies and Health Impacts
Air pollution is a major health challenge, and pollutants such as PM2.5 and PM10 are reported to cause a wide range of respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, more than malnutrition, road accidents, drug and alcohol abuse, and war and terrorism [Cohen et al. (2017)]. Overwhelmingly, the vast majority of health conditions come from fossil fuel related air pollution, having significant relevance for decisions on infrastructure for planetary health [Health Effects Institute (2024)]. Studies on the health risks associated with superpollutants such as methane, black carbon, and ozone indicate significant climate forcing impact.
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Heat-related Health Stress and Infrastructure: Evidence from South and Southeast Asia
In the South and Southeast Asia (SSEA) region, exposure to just one additional day of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (°C) annually increases the overall population death risk by 1.6 per 10,000 (compared to a reference temperature of 12-15°C). As global temperatures continue to rise due to human activities, understanding the nature and impacts of extreme heat has become more critical than ever.
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The Grand Pandemic
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of the most significant global public health and development issues, and the threat is rising. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019, and the World Bank estimates that AMR could lead to an additional USD1 trillion in healthcare costs globally by 2050. Model estimates show that investing in effective AMR prevention and control measures, together with a range of best-practice policy interventions, could help sustain the increase in life expectancy. On the other hand, if AMR is not controlled, it has the potential to reduce life expectancy and lead to significantly higher disease burdens.
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Nature and Human Health
Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems play a crucial role in shaping the environment around us, profoundly impacting human health outcomes. The variety of species in an ecosystem contributes to its resilience and stability, which directly influences human health. Healthy ecosystems provide access to clean air and water, food security and nutrition, economic opportunities, medicinal resources, protection from known and emergent infectious diseases, and physical and psychological well-being.
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One Health Approach to Zoonotic Diseases
Zoonotic diseases, which account for over 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases, pose significant threats to global public health, food security, and economic stability, underscoring the urgent need for integrated, multisectoral approaches to prevention and control. Preserving wildlife and nature, strengthening food safety, regulating wet markets, and investing in capacity building, including digital tools such as surveillance systems and digital platforms to help monitor health risks and facilitate faster response, are key to preventing future outbreaks and pandemics [UNEP (2020)].
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