9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air – WHO
New data launched on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. The data showed that air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of the world but that more countries are taking action against the menace. A news release […]
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New data launched on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants.
The data showed that air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of the world but that more countries are taking action against the menace.
A news release from WHO said the updated estimations in the “New Global Data and Comprehensive Estimates on Air Pollution” is alarming as death toll rises to seven million people every year caused by ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution.
The cities of Onitsha, in Anambra State, Kaduna, Aba, and Umuahia in Abia State were listed among the 20 cities with the worst air quality in the world, in the 2016 WHO report. The list for this year was being updated as at press time.
“Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of the burden,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.
“It is unacceptable that over 3 billion people – most of them women and children – are still breathing deadly smoke every day from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes. If we don’t take urgent action on air pollution, we will never come close to achieving sustainable development,” Dr. Ghebreyesus said.
WHO estimated that around seven million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia.
Ambient air pollution alone caused some 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths in the same period, the statement said.
“More than 90% of air pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, followed by low- and middle-income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe and the Americas. Around 3 billion people – more than 40% of the world’s population – still do not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in their homes, the main source of household air pollution,” it said.
WHO has been monitoring household air pollution for more than a decade and, while the rate of access to clean fuels and technologies is increasing everywhere, improvements are not even keeping pace with population growth in many parts of the world, particularly in subSaharan Africa.
The statement said WHO recognizes that air pollution is a critical risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), causing an estimated one-quarter (24%) of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25% from stroke, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29% from lung cancer.
More than 4300 cities in 108 countries are now included in WHO’s ambient air quality database, making this the world’s most comprehensive database on ambient air pollution.