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Why people should worry about air pollution, points from State of Global Air 2019

Air pollution exposure is linked to increased hospitalisations, disability, and early deaths. The burden stems from respiratory diseases, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, diabetes, as well as communicable diseases like pneumonia.

More than 90 per cent of people worldwide live in areas exceeding the World Health Organisation guidelines for healthy air. More than half live in areas that do not even meet WHO’s least-stringent air quality target.

Air pollution is a continuing challenge in more-developed countries and is increasing in less-developed areas, posing new air quality concerns.

Nearly half of the world’s population — a total of 3.6 billion people — were exposed to household air pollution in 2017.

Globally, the number of people cooking with solid fuels has declined. However, disparities persist, and populations in less-developed countries continue to suffer the highest exposure to household air pollution

Air pollution accounted for nearly half a million early deaths worldwide in 2017. That number represents a 20 per cent increase since 1990, with most of the growth seen in the past decade.

Household air pollution remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with a particularly heavy toll in less-developed countries.

Less-developed countries face a double burden from household and ambient air pollution.

Since 1990, the health burden of air pollution exposure has shifted further to older populations.

Air pollution collectively reduced life expectancy by 1 year and 8 months on average worldwide, a global impact rivalling that of smoking. This means a child born today will die 20 months’ sooner, on average, that would be expected in the absence of air pollution.

Air pollution is among the highest 5 risk factors for population health globally, shortening life on average by 20 months around the globe.

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