6 times as many people die from air pollution than from malaria says World Bank, 2016
This Death in the Air infographic published by the World Bank in September 2016 raises the profile of air pollution as a global health and economic problem.
Source:http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2016/09/08/death-in-the-air...
"Air pollution has emerged as the fourth-leading risk factor for deaths worldwide. While pollution-related deaths mainly strike young children and the elderly, these deaths also result in lost labor income for working-age men and women. The loss of life is tragic. The cost to the economy is substantial. The infographic below is mainly based on findings from The Cost of Air Pollution: Strengthening the economic case for action, a joint study of the World Bank and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)"
Describing the problem without solutions is not motivating. The World Bank is investing in pollution control and FRESH AIR is looking at existing health improvements and how to implement these and adapt these in different contexts.
Also offering hope is information from the European Lung Foundation, one of FRESH AIR partners, that has produced a factsheet for European healthcare professionals to explain to patients about the risk of poor air quality, putting different risks, such as active smoking and living by a busy road into context. It is written by the European Respiratory Society Environment and Health Committee and the European Lung Foundation as part of its Healthy Lungs for Life campaign that funded our original work in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Excerpt reproduced with permission, to download full infographic including suggestions for people at risk go to http://www.europeanlung.org/assets/files/factsheets/risks-air-pollution.pdf
Siân Williams