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According to a striking new report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the vast majority of children breathe toxic air.
The poisonous air that affects about 1.8 billion children worldwide creates a public health crisis because young people suffer from truncated brain development and many health problems that can lead to death. premature.
Whether in rich countries or poor countries, "polluted air poisons millions of children and ruins their lives," said Tedros Adhanom, director general of the WHO. "It's inexcusable – every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and develop their potential," Tedros said.
The study suggested that children are particularly exposed to pollutants in the air, which tend to focus closer to the ground. Their developing organs also mean that they are more at risk of suffering long-term damage than adults.
Serious health problems related to air pollution include low birth weight, poor neurodevelopment, asthma and heart disease, the WHO said. Maria Neira – Director of Public Health and Environment at WHO – said that pollutants affect children "more and more than we suspected," said Maria Neira.
An estimated 600,000 children died of lower respiratory tract infections caused by dirty air in 2016. About 93% of children in the world breathe P2.5, one of the deadliest pollutants. In the poorest countries of the world, 98% of children under 5 are exposed to PM2.5 levels that exceed WHO safety standards.
The damage begins even before birth. Premature and underweight birth rates in children are linked to pregnant women exposed to polluted air, the report explains, which also increases the risk of chronic diseases in these children as adults.
"Air pollution is a silent public health emergency," wrote Tedros in an editorial in The Guardian Saturday. "This is a decisive moment and we must intensify our actions to respond urgently to this challenge."
Tedros said the magnitude of the air pollution problem made it "new tobacco", killing about 7 million people each year and injuring billions of others. The WHO has previously reported that air pollution now kills more people each year than smoking, in part due to the declining smoking rate in the world.
The report highlighted indoor and outdoor pollutants that exacerbate the problem of toxic air. In the poorest countries, dirty fuel solutions, such as wood or paraffin, release pollutants into the atmosphere.
"Accelerate the transition to clean cooking and heating fuels and technologies, [and] promoting the use of cleaner transportation, energy efficient housing and urban planning "are solutions to this problem, said Neira.
The report was published on the occasion of the first World Conference on Air Pollution and Health which opened in Geneva on 30 October. We hope that many countries and cities will make new commitments to reduce air pollution.
Write in The GuardianTedros urged the international community to better coordinate its efforts. "No one, rich or poor, can escape air pollution," he warned. "A clean and healthy environment is the most important prerequisite for ensuring good health."
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