The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarms about the escalating impact of air pollution on human health, now identified as the second leading global risk factor for premature death.
The State of Global Air (SoGA) report, published in collaboration with UNICEF, underscores the deadly and growing impact of air pollution worldwide. The fifth edition of the report, released by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), revealed that air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021. Additionally, millions suffer from chronic diseases, straining healthcare systems, economies, and societies.
Particularly vulnerable are children under five, with over 700,000 deaths in this age group in 2021 alone due to air pollution. The report highlights pollutants like outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5)—emitted from burning fossil fuels and biomass in transportation, residential homes, and wildfires—as the most consistent and accurate predictor of poor health outcomes globally. Other harmful pollutants include household air pollution, ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), commonly found in traffic exhaust.
Dr. Elena Craft, President of HEI, expressed hope that the report’s findings would inspire change. “Air pollution has enormous implications for health. We know that improving air quality and global public health is practical and achievable,” she stated.
Pollutants like PM2.5 also contribute to greenhouse gases that warm the planet, exacerbating health effects in regions with high levels of NO2. Dr. Pallavi Pant, HEI’s Head of Global Health, emphasized the significant impact on vulnerable populations. “This new report offers a stark reminder of the significant impacts air pollution has on human health, with far too much of the burden borne by young children, older populations, and low- and middle-income countries,” she said.
The report reveals that children are “uniquely vulnerable” to air pollution, with effects beginning in the womb. Exposure to air pollution in young children leads to one in five deaths globally, as well as increased cases of pneumonia and asthma, disproportionately affecting children in low-income countries.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden highlighted the urgency, noting that nearly 2,000 children under five die every day due to air pollution. “The global urgency is undeniable. It is imperative governments and businesses consider these estimates and locally available data and use it to inform meaningful, child-focused action to reduce air pollution and protect children’s health,” she urged.
Despite the grim statistics, the SoGA report notes progress in raising awareness about household air pollution. Since 2000, there has been a 53% decrease in the death rate of children under five due to increased access to clean energy for cooking. Additionally, regions with the highest air pollution levels are addressing the issue by installing air pollution monitoring networks, implementing stricter air quality policies, and more, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
