WHO: 99% of world population breathes unhealthy air

A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that 99% of the world’s population breathes unhealthy air, threatening their health.

According to the U.N. global health organization, people in over 6,000 cities breathe unhealthy levels of “fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.”

Shocking!
99% - or almost the entire world's population breathes air with unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter & nitrogen dioxide, and threatens their health.
More: https://t.co/Llaj2wHk0V #HealthierTomorrow pic.twitter.com/QlHUP4iyS4

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 4, 2022

WHO released the report ahead of World Health Day as it tries to raise awareness about air pollution levels and tangible steps to reduce pollution. 

“Released in the lead-up to World Health Day, which this year celebrates the theme Our planet, our health, the 2022 update of the World Health Organization’s air quality database introduces, for the first time, ground measurements of annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a common urban pollutant and precursor of particulate matter and ozone. It also includes measurements of particulate matter with diameters equal or smaller than 10 μm (PM10) or 2.5 μm (PM2.5),” said the report. 

WHO claims that breathing unhealthy air can have respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular impacts. In addition, it can impact the lungs, bloodstream, and other organs and cause diseases such as asthma. 

“After surviving a pandemic, it is unacceptable to still have seven million preventable deaths and countless preventable lost years of good health due to air pollution. That’s what we’re saying when we look at the mountain of air pollution data, evidence, and solutions available. Yet too many investments are still being sunk into a polluted environment rather than in clean, healthy air,” said Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health.

The concentration of the population with the highest exposure to unhealthy air is seen in low and middle-income countries, claims the report. Air quality is worst in the eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia regions, followed by Africa, the organization added. 

“Globally, low- and middle-income countries still experience greater exposure to unhealthy levels of PM compared to the global average, but NO2 patterns are different, showing less difference between the high- and low- and middle-income countries,” reads the report.