Air Pollution Emergency? Polluted Air Affects Most Of The World: WHO

News about air pollution is not new to most people. It has been a problem for several years already. But the World Health Organization (WHO) has some bad news that is indeed alarming: Most of the world is currently inhaling polluted air and this affects the health of 92 percent of the world's population.

According to CNN, almost everyone in the planet breathes polluted air based on an air quality map that WHO released last Tuesday. Most people live in places where the air quality does not meet its guidelines.

Known to many, air pollution is harmful to the lungs, heart, and brain. Worse, it can lead to premature death. WHO said that three million deaths each year are due to outdoor air pollution. This confirms that the world is currently experiencing air pollution emergency.

Making things worse is the fact that there have been alerts about these numbers for a while now yet there is no improvement, said Dr. Maria Neira. She is the director of the organization's Department of Public Health, Environmental, and Social Determinants of Health. Reports say that from 2008 to 2013, there was an eight percent increase in the global urban air pollution levels. This is despite the fact that there were improvements in some regions.

Among the areas where the quality of air is most alarming are in the Southeast Asia, Western Pacific, Mediterranean region, and sub-Saharan countries. 90 percent of deaths are due to pollution of air occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Apart from human activities, dust storms and natural dust in desert environments can likewise influence the quality of air.

According to The Independent, air pollution already affects economies and the quality of people's lives. This and the growing number of deaths are indications of the great need for urgent actions to solve pollution problems. As of writing, the WHO recommends having an assessment of pollution sources. Once completed, policymakers can start their actions for change.