Over 1,600 Deaths in Ahwaz Region Linked to Air Pollution in One Year

Ahwaz — A senior health official has confirmed that air pollution in the Ahwaz region has caused 1,624 deaths over the past year, marking one of the most severe environmental health crises in the area’s recent history.

Mehrdad Sharifi, Deputy for Health at Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahwaz, stated that the public-health burden of pollution has cost the region’s healthcare system more than 427 million dollars. He presented the figures on Sunday, November 10, during a meeting of the province Crisis Management Coordination Council at the provincial governor’s office.

Sharifi added that air quality in the cities of Ahwaz, Meysan, and Hoveyzeh had been classified as “healthy” on only two days in recent months. In October alone, more than 22,000 residents sought hospital care for respiratory and pollution-related complications.

During the same meeting, the mayor of Ahwaz reported that the city’s annual municipal revenue reached 20.5 trillion tomans, but approximately 3.8 trillion tomans in potential income was lost due to the pollution crisis. He said the municipality, already strained by financial pressures and the scale of environmental damage, is currently unable to provide support for student health programs.

As pollution levels continue to surge, all primary and middle schools across the Ahwaz region have been ordered closed until the end of November.