Air pollution and child health: What can health care professionals do?

  • Gboyega A Ogunbanjo

Abstract

Air pollution is a major environmental health threat. Recent data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that air pollution has a vast and terrible impact on child health and survival. Globally, 93% of all children live in environments with air pollution levels above the WHO guidelines. More than one in every four deaths of children under 5 years is directly or indirectly related to environmental risks. Both ambient air pollution (AAP) and household air pollution (HAP) contribute to respiratory tract infections that resulted in 543 000 deaths in children under 5 years in 2016. Ambient air pollution (AAP) alone imposes enormous costs on the global economy, amounting to more than US$5 trillion in total welfare losses in 2013.1

Author Biography

Gboyega A Ogunbanjo

Editor-in-chief, South African Family Practice Journal

Published
2018-11-26
Issue
Vol 60 No 6: November/December 2018
Section
Editorials
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