全球超九成儿童呼吸有毒空气 可阻碍大脑发育
More than nine out of every 10 children on Earth are breathing toxic air on a daily basis, which stunts their brain development and causes deadly diseases, according to a major report by the World Health Organization (WHO). While air pollution is an increasingly recognized problem, which costs the global economy more than $5 trillion a year, it is "uniquely damaging" to children's health, the WHO warns. It reports that 93% of children, including 630 million under 5, live in areas where pollutants breach WHO-recommended safety levels, and even in wealthier countries, 52% of under-fives are routinely breathing harmful air. "Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives," said WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfill their full potential." Air pollution also effects neurological development and cognitive ability and can trigger asthma and childhood cancer, the report says. Children exposed to excessive pollution may also be at greater risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease in adulthood. |