Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. WHO data shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. WHO is working with countries to monitor air pollution and improve air quality.
Pollution is a fundamental threat to health, economies, and ecosystems. Effective pollution management offers solutions that can reduce poverty, boost shared prosperity, and deliver healthier and more productive lives for millions of people.
The unit provides technical support to WHO’s Member States in the development of normative guidance, tools and provision of authoritative advice on health issues related to air pollution and its sources. The unit leads monitoring and reporting on global trends and changes in health outcomes associated with actions taken to address air pollution at the national, regional and global scales.
How is air pollution related to climate change? We asked Yewande Awe, a Senior Environmental Engineer at the World Bank, to explain why addressing air pollution is key to tackle the climate challenge. A World Bank report estimated that the cost of the health damage caused by air pollution amounts to ...
The health impacts from exposure to ambient air pollution or household air pollution are dependent on the types, sources and concentrations of the pollutants in the air pollution mixture to which an individual is exposed. However, the health risks and disease pathways between ambient and household air pollution exposure are often similar, due to their similar composition.
Air pollution leads people to be exposed 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. Industry, transportation, coal power plants and household solid fuel usage are major contributors to air pollution. Air pollution ...