9 out of 10 humans breathe polluted air

Air pollution (smog) in New Delhi Mark Danielson / Flickr - License: CC BY-NC

Levels of air pollution remain dangerously high in many parts of the world. New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. The latest estimates reveal that 7 million people die each year from indoor air pollution (outside) and from indoor air pollution; it is a worrying figure.

The main sources of air pollution from fine particulate matter include inefficient use of energy by households, industry, agriculture and transportation sectors, as well as coal-fired power plants. In some areas, sand and dust from the desert, waste incineration and deforestation are other sources of air pollution. Air quality can also be influenced by natural elements such as geographical, meteorological and seasonal factors.

" Air pollution is a threat to all of us, but the poorest and most marginalized people are the first to suffer, " said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. " We can not accept that more than 3 billion people - mostly women and children - continue to breathe daily with deadly smoke from stoves and polluting fuels in their homes. If we do not act quickly, sustainable development will remain a pipe dream . "

WHO estimates that about 90% of the world's inhabitants breathe polluted air. Over the last 6 years, ambient air pollution levels have remained high and more or less stable, with declining concentrations in parts of Europe and the Americas.

Air pollution: 7 million deaths a year

The WHO estimates that about 7 million people die each year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air. These particles penetrate deeply into the lungs and into the cardiovascular system, causing diseases such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infections, including pneumonia.

Ambient air pollution alone accounts for about 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while indoor air pollution due to the use of polluting fuels and technologies has caused about 3.8 million deaths during the same period.

More than 90% of air pollution deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, followed by low- and middle-income countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Regions, Europe and the Americas.

In general, high-income countries have the lowest levels of ambient air pollution, especially in the regions of Europe, the Americas and the Western Pacific. In cities in high-income European countries, air pollution has been shown to reduce the average life expectancy from 2 to 24 months, depending on pollution levels.

About 3 billion people - more than 40% of the world's population - still do not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies at home, which is the main source of pollution in their homes. the air inside the houses.
WHO has been tracking indoor air pollution for more than 10 years and, while the rate of access to clean fuels and technologies is increasing everywhere, improvements are slower than population growth in many parts of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

WHO recognizes that air pollution is a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), causing an estimated one quarter (24%) of adult deaths from heart disease, 25% of deaths due to stroke, 43% of deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29% of deaths due to lung cancer.

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