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Air Pollution in Kosovo: Short Term Effects on Hospital Visits of Children Due to Respiratory Health Diagnoses

Author

Listed:
  • Zana Shabani Isenaj

    (Medical Faculty, University of Hasan Pristina, George Bush 31, 10000 Pristina, Kosovo)

  • Merita Berisha

    (Medical Faculty, University of Hasan Pristina, George Bush 31, 10000 Pristina, Kosovo
    National Institute of Public Health, St. Mother Teresa pn, Rrethi i Hospitalit, 10000 Pristina, Kosovo)

  • Dragan Gjorgjev

    (Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia)

  • Mirjana Dimovska

    (Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia)

  • Hanns Moshammer

    (Department of Environmental Health, ZPH, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
    Department of Hygiene, Medical University of Karakalpakstan, Nukus 230100, Uzbekistan)

  • Antigona Ukëhaxhaj

    (National Institute of Public Health, St. Mother Teresa pn, Rrethi i Hospitalit, 10000 Pristina, Kosovo
    Faculty of Medicine, University Fehmi Agani, Ismail Qemali n.n., 50000 Gjakove, Kosovo)

Abstract

The Republic of Kosovo is a small country in the Balkans. The capital city of Pristina hosts most of its population and is situated in a mountain basin with poor air exchange, especially during winter. Domestic heating, road transport, industry and coal-fired power plants contribute to high levels of air pollution. We performed a time-series analysis on effects of particulate air pollution (PM2.5) on respiratory health of children and adolescents, using hospital admission and ambulatory visit numbers from the pediatric university clinic. From 2018 until 2020, daily mean concentrations of PM2.5 ranged between 2.41 and 161.03 µg/m³. On average, there were 6.7 ambulatory visits per day with lower numbers on weekends and during the first COVID-19 wave in 2020. An increase in PM2.5 led to an immediate increase in visit numbers that lasted over several days. Averaged over a full week, this amounted to about a 1% increase per 10 µg/m³. There were, on average, 1.7 hospital admissions per day. Two and three days after a rise in air pollution, there was also a rise in admission numbers, followed by a decline during the consecutive days. This might indicate that the wards were overstressed because of high admission numbers and restricted additional admissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Zana Shabani Isenaj & Merita Berisha & Dragan Gjorgjev & Mirjana Dimovska & Hanns Moshammer & Antigona Ukëhaxhaj, 2022. "Air Pollution in Kosovo: Short Term Effects on Hospital Visits of Children Due to Respiratory Health Diagnoses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:10141-:d:889521
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zana Shabani Isenaj & Merita Berisha & Antigona Ukëhaxhaj & Hanns Moshammer, 2022. "Particulate Air Pollution and Primary Care Visits in Kosovo: A Time-Series Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-7, December.

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