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About 600,000 children died in 2016 from infections caused by air pollution, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday.
The organization also said in a statement that nearly 93 percent of children under the age of 15 in the world breathe an air "so polluted that it puts their health and development at risk."
These estimates are part of a report released Monday by the WHO on the links between air pollution and child health. The publication of the report comes on the eve of the World Conference of the Organization on Air Pollution and Health.
The report reveals that children in low- and middle-income countries are exposed to air pollution at particularly high rates.
The other findings of the report indicate that pregnant women exposed to polluted air are more likely to give birth prematurely and that air pollution has an impact on the cognitive abilities of children and may result in an increased risk of premature labor. asthma and cancer in children.
The report also found that many children are exposed to household air pollution due to cooking with polluting technologies.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, said in a statement that polluted air "poisons millions of children and ruins their lives. "
"It's inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air to develop and reach their full potential, "added Ghebreyesus.
The WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health will begin Tuesday in Geneva and offer world leaders potential solutions to the issues raised in the report.
Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of the WHO, said in a statement: "There are many simple ways to reduce emissions of hazardous pollutants."
"WHO supports the implementation of health protection measures such as accelerating the switch to clean fuels and cooking and heating technologies, promoting the use of cleaner means of transport, energy-efficient housing and urban planning, "said Neira.
"We are setting the stage for low-emission electricity generation, cleaner, safer industrial technologies and better management of municipal waste," she added.
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