Nine out of 10 people globally are breathing poor quality air, the World Health Organisation has warned, calling for dramatic action against pollution that is blamed for more than 6 million deaths a year.
Key points:
- Report said poorer countries had dirtier air and more deaths
- South-East Asia and the Western Pacific region are the hardest hit
- WHO said some safety strategies had only limited effectiveness
New data in a report from the UN's global health body "is enough to make all of us extremely concerned", Maria Neira, the head of the WHO's department of public health and environment, told reporters.
Poorer countries have much dirtier air than the developed world according to the report, but pollution "affects practically all countries in the world and all parts of society", Ms Neira said in a statement.
"It is a public health emergency," she said, urging governments to cut the number of vehicles on the road, improve waste management and promote clean cooking fuel.
