Preventable urban pollution kills 1 million annually

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More than one million lives could be saved each year if cities around the world adhered to UN guidelines on air pollution from cars and factories that can cause heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and acute lower respiratory infections, according to a new UN report.

“Across the world, city air is often thick with exhaust fumes, factory smoke or soot from coal burning power plants, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director for Public Health and Environment Maria Neira said of her agency’s “unprecedented” compilation of data from nearly 1,100 cities across 91 countries.

“In many countries there are no air quality regulations and, where they do exist, national standards and their enforcement vary markedly,” she added, calling for greater awareness of health risks caused by urban air pollution, implementation of effective policies and close monitoring of the situation.

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