By Muhammad Amaan with agency report
The World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned that prolonged exposure to smoke from burning mosquito coils indoors can aggravate respiratory problems in children, as experts link household air pollution to increased vulnerability among under-fives.
WHO notes that household air pollution remains a leading health risk globally.
The agency estimates that household air pollution was responsible for 2.9 million deaths worldwide in 2021, including more than 309,000 deaths among children under five.
According to WHO, 44 per cent of pneumonia deaths among children under five are attributable to household air pollution.
The organization clarified that these figures cover pollution from polluting fuels and technologies used for cooking, heating and lighting.
While WHO has not attributed specific deaths to mosquito coils, it says any source of indoor smoke can add to overall household air pollution and worsen health outcomes for children.
Paediatricians in Nigeria say the risk is heightened because children have narrower, still-developing airways and spend longer hours asleep in the same room.
Head of Paediatrics at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, Dr Abdurrazzaq Alege, said pollutants from burning coils can remain trapped in poorly ventilated rooms and be inhaled by children over several hours.
“When you have an enclosed environment, these chemicals tend to stay longer inside. Typically, all these chemicals enter the airway and cause irritation.
“This can result in defensive coughing, or you are having difficulty breathing, or having noisy breathing,” he explained.
He added that children with a predisposition to asthma may react more strongly.
“If the child has the predisposition to be asthmatic, the child will now react to these chemicals when it enters the airway,” Dr Alege said.
He, however, cautioned that while coil smoke can trigger asthma attacks, it does not necessarily cause permanent lung damage.
A study published in the journal, CHEST, found that burning mosquito coils in a closed bedroom for six hours produced average PM2.5 concentrations of 1,031 microgrammes per cubic metre, with peaks of 1,613 microgrammes per cubic metre.
Carbon monoxide levels averaged 6.50 parts per million, with peaks of 10.27 parts per million. Researchers noted that improved ventilation reduced pollutant concentrations.
A Nigerian study also found that three of five mosquito coil brands tested exceeded the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Environment and WHO indoor carbon monoxide limit of nine parts per million in different bedroom settings. Exposure levels varied with room size.
The warning comes as Nigeria continues to bear a heavy malaria burden.
WHO reported that Nigeria accounted for 31.9 per cent of malaria deaths in the WHO African Region in 2024, with children under five accounting for about three-quarters of malaria deaths in the region.
Dr Femi Akodu, Consultant Paediatrician at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, urged parents to reduce children’s exposure to coil smoke and adopt safer alternatives.
“Typically, when the child starts to have, or finds it difficult to breathe, we expect that the child should be attended to, or taken to the nearest health centre,” Akodu advised. “There are mosquito repellents. All these are better than burning the oil in the house.”
He also recommended environmental measures such as emptying stagnant water, keeping surroundings clean, ensuring good ventilation, and using mosquito nets. Akodu further cautioned that insecticide spraying should be done when children are not around.
WHO recommends that households prioritize ventilation, cleaner household energy, and evidence-based vector control methods to reduce both malaria risk and indoor air pollution.
Health experts say combining mosquito nets, appropriate repellents, and environmental sanitation can help protect children without increasing their exposure to indoor smoke.
