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Study Every year, nearly hundreds of thousands of children die from air pollution
The Unicef Children's Fund warns of the dangerous consequences of global pollution. Worldwide, around 300 million children have to breathe extremely hazardous air. Every year, almost 600,000 children under the age of five die as a result of the toxic burden.
Nearly every seventh child breathes heavily contaminated air
It has long been known that pollution of the environment is associated with a high health risk. Just recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that air pollution causes more and more deaths worldwide. Now there are new figures from the UN Children's Fund Unicef. According to the experts, almost one in seven children in the world lives in an area of heavily polluted air. Well over half a million children die each year from the consequences.
According to a new study by the Unicef Children's Fund, around 300 million children worldwide have to breathe extremely polluted air. Well over half a million die from the consequences. (Image: Stanislav Komogorov / fotolia.com) 600,000 dead children per year
According to a UNICEF press release, around 300 million children worldwide are exposed to air pollution that exceeds six times or more the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Air pollution is a major contributor to the death of approximately 600,000 children under the age of five - and threatens the lives and future of millions more every day," said Unicef Director Anthony Lake.
Danger to body and life
Even small amounts of fine dust can be dangerous. Health experts say the particles can enter the heart via the bloodstream. Possible consequences include severe coronary artery calcification, heart muscle inflammation or heart attacks.
Above all, air pollution endangers the lungs - and also the brain. "Contaminants not only harm the developing lungs of children, but can also permanently affect the development of the child's brain - and thus endanger the future of the children," says Lake.
Asia and Africa particularly affected
According to Unicef, satellite imagery shows that around two billion children worldwide live in areas where outside air pollution exceeds minimum WHO guidelines. 300,000 of them breathe extremely polluted air. Children in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as well as in the East Asian and Pacific regions are therefore the most vulnerable.
Various causes listed
The causes listed in the study are vehicle emissions, factory emissions, waste incineration and dust. In addition, the stress in indoor areas through open fireplaces for cooking and heating, especially in rural areas, was also discussed.
According to the experts, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases are in many cases demonstrably due to a high level of pollutants in indoor and outdoor air. According to the information, they have a share of almost ten percent in the deaths of children under five years.
"Central to our future"
UNICEF, which published its report one week before the launch of the COP 22 Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, Morocco, calls on its participants to pay more attention to the health risk to children of toxic substances in the air and to reduce the burden on their countries.
"When we protect the quality of our air, we protect our children. Both are central to our future, "said UNICEF director Anthony Lake.
Particulate pollution in Europe
Although the Unicef study shows that air pollution is the most intense in Asia and Africa, pollutants in the air in Europe are responsible for thousands of deaths, investigations have shown.
Even in our latitudes, the situation is often dramatic. In the past year, for example, researchers calculated and reported that cities in Europe with the highest particulate matter pollution in the future, including a German city below: Stuttgart. (Ad)