Brazil deforestation fires affect millions in Amazon

Fires resulting from unchecked deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest are poisoning air millions of people brea, a report released Monday shows.

According to study carried out by Human Rights Watch, Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), and Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS), deforestation in Amazon and blazes which followed increased dramatically during 2019, President Jair Bolsonaro's first year in office, and 2020 is alrey proving to be worse.

report called " Air is Unbearable" analyzed data from 2019, crossing official figures from people mitted in hospitals with data on burns and quality of air.

It estimates 2,195 people were taken to hospital due to respiratory illness attributable to 2019 fires.

Almost 500 of se cases involved infants under one year old, and more than 1,000 involved people over 60.

Brazil Human Rights Watch director Maria Laura Canineu said deforestation h created a "chronic" public health problem which h been "preventable".

(Im Credit Pixabay)