Mortality and DALYs attributable to ambient air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
1
Environmental health and impact assessment, National Center for Public Health, ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1334
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Air pollution has intensified over the past decade in major Mongolian cities, particularly Ulaanbaatar, driven by rapid urbanization, poor urban planning, rural-to-urban migration, poverty, unemployment, economic challenges, widespread use of coal for heating and cooking, and a growing number of motor vehicles. As a result, population health has deteriorated. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) framework, first introduced in 1996 and regularly updated by WHO, provides comprehensive estimates of mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to estimate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to air pollution–related diseases in Ulaanbaatar.
METHODS:
A retrospective study was conducted using air pollution data and secondary mortality data from 2008–2017. DALYs were calculated as the sum of years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD). WHO-recommended methodologies were applied. Mortality from respiratory system diseases (RSD: pneumonia, COPD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD: ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease) was analyzed.
RESULTS:
Children aged 0–4 years experienced the highest mortality from RSD, while adults predominantly died from CVD. Hospitalizations increased annually and varied by season. Significant associations were identified between mortality and major air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, CO, SO₂, and O₃), particularly during the cold season. The leading causes of death were ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, pneumonia, and COPD. Between 2008 and 2017, a total of 2,205 deaths from RSD and CVD were recorded, showing an increasing trend in Ulaanbaatar.
CONCLUSIONS:
From 2008–2017, residents of Ulaanbaatar lost an estimated 249,854 DALYs due to pneumonia, COPD, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Children and the elderly were identified as the most vulnerable populations to air pollution.
Air pollution has intensified over the past decade in major Mongolian cities, particularly Ulaanbaatar, driven by rapid urbanization, poor urban planning, rural-to-urban migration, poverty, unemployment, economic challenges, widespread use of coal for heating and cooking, and a growing number of motor vehicles. As a result, population health has deteriorated. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) framework, first introduced in 1996 and regularly updated by WHO, provides comprehensive estimates of mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to estimate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to air pollution–related diseases in Ulaanbaatar.
METHODS:
A retrospective study was conducted using air pollution data and secondary mortality data from 2008–2017. DALYs were calculated as the sum of years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD). WHO-recommended methodologies were applied. Mortality from respiratory system diseases (RSD: pneumonia, COPD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD: ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease) was analyzed.
RESULTS:
Children aged 0–4 years experienced the highest mortality from RSD, while adults predominantly died from CVD. Hospitalizations increased annually and varied by season. Significant associations were identified between mortality and major air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, CO, SO₂, and O₃), particularly during the cold season. The leading causes of death were ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, pneumonia, and COPD. Between 2008 and 2017, a total of 2,205 deaths from RSD and CVD were recorded, showing an increasing trend in Ulaanbaatar.
CONCLUSIONS:
From 2008–2017, residents of Ulaanbaatar lost an estimated 249,854 DALYs due to pneumonia, COPD, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Children and the elderly were identified as the most vulnerable populations to air pollution.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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