“The measures taken to reduce air pollution are directed towards the consequences, and not the causes. When we begin to focus on taking measures for the cause, the situation will change significantly”, said Dragan Gjorgjev from the Institute of Public Health.
“Air pollution can not be reduced in the short term. For the situation to change, we need to make long-term measures, but out of season, not only when pollution is alarming”, says Gjorgjev.
The Institute of Public Health say that we are going into the stage when you need to take alarming measures. Next week, an inter-sectoral group put together by representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Environmental and Health inspectorate, the Institute of Public Health, City of Skopje and the representatives of the government, will be meeting to discuss undertaking relevant alarming measures, among which may be the closure of schools.
“We appeal to the public to go outdoors as little as possible. To avoid physical outdoor activities, as well as professional activities which are performed outdoors. We also suggest construction workers wear masks”, Gjorgjev added.
Gjorgjev says that as a result of air pollution, in Macedonia every year pollution kills nearly 1,050 people, in this period, pulmonary diseases have increased by 30 to 40 percent, and on a yearly basis it costs the state 250 million euros or around three percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
