9 Of 10 Air Pollution Deaths Occur In Developing Countries: WHO Study

"Almost every single person worldwide breathes in toxic air on a regular basis, although the consequences for those living in developing regions are more deadly, according to a new World Health Organization study.

The report, released Wednesday, surveyed 4,300 cities in 108 countries, making it the most comprehensive study to date on ambient air pollution. It concluded that about 7 million people die annually from exposure to polluted air, which causes diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections like pneumonia.

The trend is particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries across Africa and Asia, WHO said, as well as some eastern Mediterranean and South American nations. These regions account for more than 90 percent of all air pollution-related deaths.

The primary issue in these areas, WHO added, is the lack of access to clean energy at home. More than half of these deaths were linked to cooking with polluting fuels and technologies."

Willa Frej reports for HuffPost May 2, 2018.