Air pollution and climate change drive health inequities across China's provinces (2000-2023).

ABSTRACT: Achieving health equity is a key mission of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study integrated epidemiological models for both acute and chronic health outcomes with climate, demographic, and cause-specific mortality data. It assessed province-level health inequalities and their drivers across China (2000-2023), focusing on short- and long-term exposures to air pollution (PM_2.5, ozone) and climate-related events (heatwaves, cold spells). The results show that China's clean air initiatives have significantly reduced PM_2.5 levels, improving short-term exposure risks and narrowing ozone-related health inequalities. However, densely populated and aging regions in northern and central China continue to bear disproportionate health burdens. A hid

SUBMITTER: Wang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12539319 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature