Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risk to health. 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. WHO data show that almost all of the global population (99% ...
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 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.
WHO fact sheet on indoor air pollution: includes key facts, definition, impact on health, impact on health equity, WHO response.
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 ...
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, alongside climate change. New guidelines provide clear evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood.