Air pollution kills: More than 90 percent of the world’s kids—nearly 2 billion children—breathe toxic air that’s so polluted it puts their health at serious risk, the Geneva-based World Health Organization said this week. Some 600,000 children die each year from lower-respiratory infections
caused by dirty air. The WHO’s new report found that the problem is worst in the Middle East, Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Burning fuels such as wood or paraffin indoors for heat, cooking, and light has an especially drastic effect on kids’ health, said WHO, which urged governments to promote cleaner alternatives. “Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfill their potential,” said Tedros Adhanom, WHO’s director-general.
