The latest World Health Organization (WHO) reports on air pollution show that approximately seven million people died due to air pollution in 2012. This staggering number is the result of both ambient air pollution and household air pollution.
The shocking number have surprised scientists and far exceeded previous estimates that placed that number of less than half of the WHO estimate. Moreover, the recent WHO reports have also proven that air pollution is now undoubtedly the biggest environmental health risk in the world.
The seven million deaths described in the WHO report accounts for about one eight of the total number of people who died in 2012. Of the seven million deaths, 3.7 million were caused by ambient air pollution or AAP.
"Globally, 3.7 million deaths were attributable to ambient air pollution (AAP) in 2012. About 88% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income (LMI) countries, which represent 82% of the world population," says the WHO report on AAP deaths. "The Western Pacific and South East Asian regions bear most of the burden with 1.67 million and 936,000 deaths, respectively. About 236,000 deaths occur in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 200,000 in Europe, 176,000 in Africa, and 58,000 in the Americas. The remaining deaths occur in high-income countries of Europe (280,000), Americas (94,000), Western Pacific (67,000), and Eastern Mediterranean (14,000)."
In 2008, an older report placed the number of deaths due to AAP during that year at 1.3 million. However, the largely lower estimate may be attributed to a number of factors including the exclusion of rural areas, the possibility of an increase in diseases in the following years and a lack of evidence linking AAP and certain health conditions.
Another WHO report showed that the remaining 4.3 million deaths in the total seven million estimate was caused by household air pollution or HAP.
"Globally, 4.3 million deaths were attributable to household air pollution (HAP) in 2012, almost all in low and middle income (LMI) countries," says the WHO report on HAP deaths. "The South East Asian and Western Pacific regions bear most of the burden with 1.69 and 1.62 million deaths, respectively. Almost 600,000 deaths occur in Africa, 200,000 in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 99,000 in Europe and 81,000 in the Americas. The remaining 19,000 deaths occur in high income countries."
Compared to the results of a previous report published in 2004, the number of deaths due to HAP has also dramatically increased. The 2004 estimate was placed at two million deaths, more than half of the latest estimate.
Due to the sheer number of deaths involved, WHO scientists are now calling for policy changes to reduce air pollution. Scientists say that reducing air pollution could save millions of lives in the future.
