Hazy Perceptions: Public Perceptions about Air Quality and its Health Impacts in South and Southeast Asia, 2025-2018

Air pollution is a serious public health issue in South and South East Asia, causing  1.5 million deaths annually in the region. This new study – Hazy Perceptions – from Vital Strategies finds many people misunderstand the main sources of air pollution. It also found people focus on short-term events such as haze episodes and personal protection measures – like wearing masks, while long-term air pollution, often invisible and odorless, is a bigger health threat. The report calls for informative communications campaigns to highlight air pollution sources and its long-term health impacts.