27 September 2016 \u2013 With some 6.5 million people dying annually from air pollution and 92 per cent of the world\u2019s population living in places where levels exceed recommended limits, the United Nations today rolled out its most detailed profile of the scourge ever in a bid to slash the deadly toll.<\/p>\n
\u201cFast action to tackle air pollution can\u2019t come soon enough,\u201d top UN World Health Organization (WHO<\/a>) environmental official Maria Neira said<\/a> of the new air quality model, which includes interactive maps<\/a> maps that highlight areas within countries exceeding WHO limits. The world\u2019s population reached 7.35 billion last year, according to UN figures<\/p>\n \u201cSolutions exist with sustainable transport in cities, solid waste management, access to clean household fuels and cook-stoves, as well as renewable energies and industrial emissions reductions,\u201d Dr. Neira added.<\/p>\n Nearly 90 per cent of the deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with nearly two out of three occurring in the South-east Asia and Western Pacific regions.<\/p>\n \u201cAir pollution continues take a toll on the health of the most vulnerable populations \u2013 women, children and the older adults,” WHO\u2019s Assistant Director General Flavia Bustreo said. \u201cFor people to be healthy, they must breathe clean air from their first breath to their last,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Major sources of air pollution include inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities. But not all air pollution originates from human activity. For example, air quality can also be influenced by dust storms, particularly in regions close to deserts.<\/p>\n The new WHO model shows countries where the air pollution danger spots are, and provides a baseline for monitoring progress in combatting it,” Dr. Bustreo said.<\/p>\n Developed in collaboration with the University of Bath, United Kingdom, it represents WHO\u2019s most detailed outdoor air pollution-related health data ever, based on satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors for more than 3,000 locations, both rural and urban.<\/p>\n Some three million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can be just as deadly. In 2012, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6 per cent of all global deaths) were associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution together.<\/p>\n Ninety-four per cent of the deaths are due to non-communicable diseases \u2013 notably cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections.<\/p>\n \u201cThis new model is a big step forward towards even more confident estimates of the huge global burden of more than six million deaths \u2013 one in nine of total global deaths \u2013 from exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution,\u201d said Dr. Neira, who is WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.<\/p>\n WHO\u2019s Ambient Air quality guidelines limit annual mean exposure to particulate matter with a diametre of less than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5), such as sulfate, nitrates and black carbon, which penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, posing the greatest health risks.<\/p>\n The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs<\/a>) of the 2030 Agenda<\/a>, adopted at a UN summit last year, call for substantially reducing the number of deaths and illnesses from air pollution. In May WHO issued a new road map for accelerated action with local health sectors increasing monitoring and assuming a greater leadership role in national policies affecting air pollution.<\/p>\n