A new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva shows that air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of the world, including China. New data contained in the report shows that 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. Updated estimations reveal an alarming global death toll of 7 million people in 2016 caused by both ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution.
The report estimates that nearly 2 million people die every year in China from ambient and household pollution from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia.
Of those deaths, the report estimates that ambient air pollution alone caused more than 1 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an additional nearly one million deaths in the same period.
“Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of the burden,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “If we don’t take urgent action on air pollution, we will never come close to achieving sustainable development.”
China taking action
More than 4,300 cities in 108 countries are now included in WHO’s ambient air quality database, making this the world’s most comprehensive database on ambient air pollution. The database includes more than 300 cities in China.
The database collects annual mean concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). PM2.5 includes pollutants, such as sulphate, nitrates and black carbon, which pose the greatest risks to human health.
The new report shows that in 2016 the annual median exposure to ambient PM2.5 in China was 48.8 μg/m3 – a 17% reduction from the last WHO report but still more than four times higher than WHO recommendations.
WHO air quality recommendations call for countries to reduce their air pollution to annual mean values of 20 μg/m3 (for PM10) and 10 μg/m3 (for PM2.5).
Major sources of air pollution from particulate matter include the inefficient use of energy by households, industry, the agriculture and transport sectors, and coal-fired power plants. Recent studies by Chinese researchers have shown that in China household air pollution from the use of solid fuels for heating and cooking is the source of up to 40% of ambient air pollution.
“China has made tremendous progress since Premier Li Keqiang declared a war on pollution in 2014. Providing better access to cleaner sources of fuel used for indoor heating and cooking, placing and enforcing strict limits on industrial emissions, increasing the use of renewable power sources, and promoting greater energy efficiency are some of the strategies the Chinese government has put forth with great success. But there is still a way to go to win this war,” said Dr Gauden Galea, the WHO Representative in China.
More than just an environmental problem
WHO recognizes that air pollution is a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). For example, the report estimates that air pollution is causing a 24% of global adult deaths from heart disease, 25% from stroke, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29% from lung cancer. For children, air pollution is a major risk factor for pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death in children under five.
“Air pollution is not just an environmental problem. It is also a health problem. And as with many other public health issues, it stands in the way of a country’s economic and social development,” said Dr Galea.
WHO calls on governments around the world to adopt a health-in-all policies approach when dealing with pollution. By including stakeholders from the fields of health, finance, science and technology, as well as the environmental authorities, China can ensure that further progress in the fight against pollution is accelerated.
“By engaging all relevant stakeholders in the solution, China can provide a global model for putting ecology and health – as two sides of the same coin – at the center of the development and make pollution a thing of the past,” said Dr Galea.
Media please contact:
Ms Wu Linlin
World Health Organization | People’s Republic of China
Tel: +86 10 6532 7190
E-mail: wpchnmedia@who.int