November 14, 2016.
Air pollution is the cause of many health problems in children. In a recent report, UNICEF is alarmed at the disastrous consequences that this pollution can have on the development of the brain and the immune system of those under five.
Two billion children affected by air pollution
In the world, nearly one in seven children live in an area where air pollution far exceeds thresholds set by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is what reveals a recent report by UNICEF, which is concerned about the disastrous consequences, on the health of children, of this exposure to pollutants.
According to the satellite images which made it possible to reach these conclusions, South Asia and Africa are particularly affected by this health problem. In all, two billion children live in a region where outdoor air pollution, the intensive use of fossil fuels, dust and the burning of waste are causing air degradation that exceeds standards.
Pollution harms children’s brain development
” Air pollution kills an estimated 600,000 children under the age of five each year – and threatens the lives and futures of millions more every day UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said. ” Pollutants don’t just harm the developing lungs of children – they can also cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage their brain – and therefore their future », He added.
Children are indeed more sensitive than adults to indoor and outdoor air pollution because their lungs, brain and immune system are still developing and their airways are more permeable.. Young children breathe faster than adults and take in more air relative to their body weight. The poorest, who have insufficient access to health services, are the most vulnerable to diseases caused by polluted air. These two forms of pollution are directly linked to many diseases that are said to kill one in five children under five, making air pollution one of the main dangers to children’s health.
To find out more: Air pollutants: what are they, where do they come from?
