Nigerians among 7 million people that die of air pollution yearly

Several Nigerians are among the 7 million individuals who die annually as a result of air pollution, WHO has said.

The World Health Organisation has said Nigerians are among the 7 million individuals who die annually as a result of air pollution.

The revelation was made in the new report by the World Health Organisation on its website.

According to the report, at least nine of 10 people around the world are exposed to dangerously high levels of pollutants that can lead to cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

A study that drew off the 2016 data published by WHO says air pollution levels were the highest in the eastern Mediterranean, southeast Asia and Africa.

According to the study, some areas airborne toxins were five times WHO limits and disproportionately affected the poor and most vulnerable.

Sad cases

Sadly, air outdoors in polluted areas is not just the only reason this poses a danger to public health because about 3 billion people are breathing deadly fumes from domestic cooking stoves and fires.

Nigeria, as well as other African countries, contributes to this quota of people who use domestic cooking stoves that emit such dangerous fumes which pollute the air.

Household air pollution according to WHO is responsible for an estimated 3.8 million deaths in 2016.

The report went further to reveal that more than 90 percent of air pollution deaths affect low and middle income countries, particularly in Asia and Africa.

“Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of the burden. If we don’t take urgent action on air pollution, we will never come close to achieving sustainable development,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Developed countries breathe better air

The report by WHO has shown that the least polluted air tends to be found in more developed and richer countries.

These countries, it was revealed, have governments that have taken steps to tackle what British lawmakers previously called a national health emergency.

The Nigerian citizens battle with not only environmental pollution but household air pollution as a result of usage of cooking gas.

Nigerians among 7 million people that die of air pollution yearly

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