More than nine out of every ten children on Earth are breathing toxic air on a daily basis which stunts their brain development and causes deadly disease, according to a major report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Air pollution is “uniquely damaging” to children’s health, the WHO warns.
93 per cent of children – 630 million under-fives – live in areas where pollutants breach WHO-recommended safety levels, and even in wealthier countries 52 per cent of under-fives are routinely breathing harmful air. The toll is highest in developing countries in Africa and Asia where wood, coal and kerosene fuels are widely used in the home for cooking and heating, alongside more polluting fuels used for transportation. These home air pollutants cause around 400,000 deaths of children under five each year, in addition to the 300,000 deaths from environmental air pollution such as smog and exhaust fumes.
“Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives,” said WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who recently likened the health emergency to the impact of smoking. “This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfil their full potential.”
The most established impact is on lung development and function, and some of this harm can occur while the child is still in the womb, undermining lifelong health. Minute particles of soot and other particulate matter (PM2.5s) can penetrate the lungs and have even been identified in the placenta; these – in combination with gasses like nitrogen dioxide and ozone – can increase the risk of conditions like pneumonia. The report says there is now “substantial evidence” of traffic-related air pollution increasing risk of childhood leukaemia, with some studies suggesting these risks can begin in the womb. It may also impact outcomes like premature birth and infant mortality, and impact brain development in the womb and early childhood, undermining school performance and contributing to conditions like ADHD and autism – though this is harder to disentangle from other socioeconomic effects.
Director of the WHO Department of Public, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, Dr Maria Neira, said, “Air pollution is stunting our children’s brains, affecting their health in more ways than we suspected. But there are many straightforward ways to reduce emissions of dangerous pollutants.”
"Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. Large parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America are among the worst affected. "This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfil their full potential."
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/air-pollution-child-death-brain-growth-asthma-pneumonia-toxic-world-health-organisation-a8606626.html
93 per cent of children – 630 million under-fives – live in areas where pollutants breach WHO-recommended safety levels, and even in wealthier countries 52 per cent of under-fives are routinely breathing harmful air. The toll is highest in developing countries in Africa and Asia where wood, coal and kerosene fuels are widely used in the home for cooking and heating, alongside more polluting fuels used for transportation. These home air pollutants cause around 400,000 deaths of children under five each year, in addition to the 300,000 deaths from environmental air pollution such as smog and exhaust fumes.
“Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives,” said WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who recently likened the health emergency to the impact of smoking. “This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfil their full potential.”
The most established impact is on lung development and function, and some of this harm can occur while the child is still in the womb, undermining lifelong health. Minute particles of soot and other particulate matter (PM2.5s) can penetrate the lungs and have even been identified in the placenta; these – in combination with gasses like nitrogen dioxide and ozone – can increase the risk of conditions like pneumonia. The report says there is now “substantial evidence” of traffic-related air pollution increasing risk of childhood leukaemia, with some studies suggesting these risks can begin in the womb. It may also impact outcomes like premature birth and infant mortality, and impact brain development in the womb and early childhood, undermining school performance and contributing to conditions like ADHD and autism – though this is harder to disentangle from other socioeconomic effects.
Director of the WHO Department of Public, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, Dr Maria Neira, said, “Air pollution is stunting our children’s brains, affecting their health in more ways than we suspected. But there are many straightforward ways to reduce emissions of dangerous pollutants.”
"Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. Large parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America are among the worst affected. "This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfil their full potential."
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/air-pollution-child-death-brain-growth-asthma-pneumonia-toxic-world-health-organisation-a8606626.html
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