Clean the air for children
This report was provided in 2016 by UNICEF in English This report looks at how children, particularly the most disadvantaged, are affected by air pollution. It points out that around 300 million children live in areas where the air is toxic exceeding international limits by at least six times and that children are uniquely vulnerable to air pollution, breathing faster than adults on average and taking in more air relative to their body weight. The report also notes that air pollution is threatens the health, lives and futures of millions more. It concludes with a set of concrete steps to take so that children can breathe clean, safe air.
reducing air pollution levels saves and improves the quality of children’s lives. It can help to reduce the incidence of acute and chronic respiratory infections such as pneumonia and asthma among children. Reducing air pollution would reduce complications during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as improve can improve children’s development, helping them to lead longer and more productive lives, and benefit sustainable development and climate change mitigation.
this report shows every year, nearly 600,000 children under the age of five die from diseases caused or exacerbated by the effects of indoor and outdoor air pollution. Millions more suffer from respiratory diseases that diminish their resilience and affect their physical and cognitive development.
As population grows, as countries continue to develop through rapid industrialization and as urbanization increases, experts expect all these numbers to climb, unless we act now.
Air pollution affects about two billion of the world’s children. It will require all of us to clear the air for them, and make it safe to breathe.
Looking forward, the prospects do not look good. Research published in the scientific magazine Nature suggest the under-five mortality from acute lower respiratory illness as a result of air pollution could increase by about 50 per cent by 2050. The same research points to a projected 6.5 million premature deaths among all age groups in 2050. These are roughly in line with recent OECD projections of the number of premature deaths due to outdoor air pollution of 6–9 million by 2060. There are currently about 20 infected cities in Asia, of which Zabol is one in Iran.
Developed countries have made great strides in reducing outdoor air pollution and protecting children from indoor pollutants. Developing countries both low and middle income can and must do so too. Outside the home, it means improving urban planning so schools and playgrounds are not located in close proximity to sources of toxic pollution. It means improving waste disposal systems and increasing public transportation options to reduce automobile traffic and the harmful fossil fuel
emissions it produces. It means investing in sustainable energy solutions to reduce reliance on pollution-causing sources of energy.
Sustainable Development Goals that are closely related to reducing air pollution:
1- Reducing air pollution can help families become healthier, save on medical expenses, and improve productivity.
2- Power generation, industry and transportation are large contributors to air pollution. A new focus on decreasing energy consumption and on improving sustainable and public transportation could progressively reduce pollution.
3- Air pollution can cause crop damage and affect food quality and security. Urban areas significantly contribute to air pollution. Making cities sustainable could progressively improve the air quality.
4- Air pollution poses a major threat to human health. It is linked to respiratory infection and cardiovascular disease. It causes increases in population morbidity and mortality.
5- Chemicals released into the air increase air pollution and contribute to harmful effects on human health. Responsible production and consumption could help to reduce these harmful chemicals.
6- Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) from open fires and the combustion of fossil fuels mix with precipitation causing harmful acid rain that can compromise water quality.
7- Combustion of fossil fuels plays a key role in the process of climate change, which places food, air and water supplies at risk, and poses a major threat to human health.
