The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 99 percent of the world’s population breathes in highly polluted air. A report released by the agency on Monday states that millions of people worldwide die each year as a result of polluted air.
New data from the UN health agency shows that people in every corner of the globe are tackling air pollution. However, this problem is more evident in poor countries.
Maria Neira, the agency’s director of environment, climate change and health, told reporters that almost 100 percent of the world’s population now breathes such air; Which is worse than the air quality recommended by the World Health Organization.
“It’s a major public health problem,” he said. In a report four years ago, the World Health Organization said more than 90 percent of the world’s population was affected by air pollution.
“Evidence of the damage caused by air pollution is growing rapidly, and many air pollutants are causing significant damage, even at low levels,” the WHO said.
Last year, however, the United Nations reported a worldwide improvement in air quality as a result of a worldwide coronavirus pandemic lockdown and travel bans. Even then, air pollution remains a major problem.
“Even after surviving the epidemic, there are still 6 million preventable deaths a year due to air pollution,” Maria said.
The WHO said last year after changing its airborne guideline guidelines that the average annual concentration of small and hazardous particles known as PM2.5 should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter. However, even lower concentrations can cause significant health risks.
IQAAR, a Swiss-based pollution technology company, says air pollution is now the world’s biggest environmental health threat. Every year, more than 6 million people worldwide die due to air pollution.
PM-2.5 causes a variety of diseases that are harmful to human health, such as life-threatening cancer and heart problems. The presence of PM-2.5 in the air by IQAAR has warned that it is extremely dangerous for global health.
Towards the end of last month, IQAA published a list of the world’s top air polluting countries and capitals in 2021, analyzing the air quality of 117 countries, territories and territories and 6,465 cities. For the fourth time in a row, Bangladesh has been named the most polluted country in the world in 2021.