Health of 1.8 billion children is at serious risk from air pollution, says WHO

The World Health Organization has made an urgent call to action to reduce air pollution in order to protect children’s health.

Health professionals have a central role to play in this effort, says a report on the effects of air pollution on children.1

“Health effects experienced early in life can increase a child’s future risk of disease and lead to lifelong consequences. A child who is exposed to unsafe levels of pollution early in life can thus suffer a ‘life sentence’ of illness,” it says. “Health professionals are well positioned to communicate with families, communities, …