Singapore Tops Global Pollution Rankings Again, Rolls Out Haze Treatment Subsidies

Singapore was ranked as the world’s most polluted city again on Monday, according to Swiss-based air quality monitor IQAir.

The ranking came as fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands continued emitting toxic haze.

The fires have been intensified by a turbocharged El Nino weather phenomenon, according to the report.

Singapore and Malaysia are grappling with persistently unhealthy air quality because of fires in nearby Indonesia.

Subsidies for haze-related treatment

Singapore has rolled out subsidies for haze-related medical treatment as the air quality remains unhealthy.

The government activated schemes on Monday that allow citizens to receive affordable care for haze-related conditions.

The measures were introduced as the fires created severe haze locally and were linked to tens of thousands of cases of respiratory illnesses.

The health impact has extended beyond Singapore, with Malaysia also facing the effects of the haze from the fires in nearby Indonesia.

Schools were closed in parts of neighbouring Malaysia as both countries dealt with the persistently unhealthy air.

The situation has therefore involved both public-health measures and disruption to schooling, while the fires on Borneo and Sumatra continued to drive toxic haze.

Singapore’s renewed position at the top of IQAir’s ranking highlights the continuing severity of the air-quality problem as authorities provide subsidised care for affected citizens.

Source: South China Morning Post