Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Cost of Air Pollution on Public Health by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment

Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Cost of Air Pollution on Public Health by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has done studies on the annual mortality associated with air pollution from human activities in Singapore; (b) if so, what is the number of annual deaths in the last five years; (c) whether the Government has an estimate on the annual monetary cost to public health and social care services associated with air pollution; and (d) if so, what is the annual cost in the last five years.

Answer:

1 My Ministry takes into account the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines, as well as studies on the health costs of air pollution, to formulate air pollution mitigation policies to safeguard public health. As the studies differ on their methodologies and assumptions, we are unable to provide specific information on the annual mortality or health costs associated with air pollution in Singapore. Nonetheless, it is clear that reducing emissions of air pollutants benefit Singaporeans.