Abstract: The harm of PM2.5 pollution to public health remains a key challenge in global health governance. In a deeply aging society, the threat of pollution to the health of the elderly population is particularly prominent, exposing a significant imbalance in the allocation of medical resources. Through spatio-temporal analysis, his study in Japan assesses the impact of PM2.5 pollution on the health of different age groups and quantifies the amplifying effect of the mismatch of medical resources on the disease burden. The study finds that the Baby Boomer generation born in the 1950s, due to long-term exposure to PM2.5, has a value of a statistical life about 52% higher than that of other generations, highlighting their higher risk of health economic costs. Based on the analysis of data from 170,000 medical institutions, the results show that more than 86% of the regions face an increased health burden due to the mismatch of medical resources, and the remote areas in western Japan are particularly vulnerable. The study emphasizes the health crisis under the intertwining of aging and environmental pollution, and provides policymakers with a scientific basis for optimizing the allocation of medical resources and addressing health inequalities. It also offers a reference path for other regions facing similar challenges.
Host: Zhou Yuangxiang
Time: 15:00 - 17:00, Friday, February 7, 2025
Venue: Online (Tencent Meeting: 417-692-5666)
Introduction of the Lecturer: Long Yin is an Associate Professor and a Ph.D. supervisor in the Graduate School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. He is an Outstanding Researcher of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and an Outstanding Researcher of the University of Tokyo. He serves as an Editor of the journal Global Environmental Change, and an Associate Editor of Environmental Impact Assessment Review and Urban Climate. In the past five years, he has published more than 80 articles indexed by SCI/SSCI in journals such as Science Advance, Nature Sustainability, Nature Climate Change, Nature Communications, and One Earth. His research team is committed to a series of research, including the quantification of carbon emissions at the consumer end and the development of emission reduction models, as well as the changes in sustainable household diets.
