United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has urged South Asian countries to address air quality crisis in South Asia region.
Following her recent visit to South Asia, UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore issued a press note today and said that around 620 million children in the region are breathing polluted and toxic air. “Because they have smaller lungs, breathe twice as fast as adults, and lack the immunities that come with age, children endure its damaging health and neurological effects the most," she said, adding that air pollution is associated with one of the biggest killers of children – pneumonia and linked to asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory infections. “Air pollution damages brain tissue and undermines cognitive development in babies and young children, leading to lifelong consequences that can affect their learning outcomes and future potential.”
There is evidence to suggest that adolescents exposed to higher levels of air pollution are more likely to experience mental health problems," she added.
She said that children in South Asia are continuing to suffer from the dire consequences of air pollution. “The air quality was at a crisis level. You could smell the toxic fog even from behind an air filtration mask,” she is quoted in the press note. “From every neighbourhood, you could see the pollution obscuring buildings, trees, and people,” she said, adding that schools and offices closed or curtailed hours. “With winter approaching, the situation is set to become even worse.”
UNICEF is calling for urgent action to address this air quality crisis. “Governments in the region and around the world should take urgent steps to reduce air pollution by investing in cleaner, renewable sources of energy to replace fossil fuel combustion; provide affordable access to clean public transport; increase green spaces in urban areas; change agricultural practices and provide better waste management options to prevent open burning of harmful chemicals,” the press note reads, adding that children have a right to live in a clean environment and to breathe clean air. “We must act now.”
Following her recent visit to South Asia, UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore issued a press note today and said that around 620 million children in the region are breathing polluted and toxic air. “Because they have smaller lungs, breathe twice as fast as adults, and lack the immunities that come with age, children endure its damaging health and neurological effects the most," she said, adding that air pollution is associated with one of the biggest killers of children – pneumonia and linked to asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory infections. “Air pollution damages brain tissue and undermines cognitive development in babies and young children, leading to lifelong consequences that can affect their learning outcomes and future potential.”
There is evidence to suggest that adolescents exposed to higher levels of air pollution are more likely to experience mental health problems," she added.
She said that children in South Asia are continuing to suffer from the dire consequences of air pollution. “The air quality was at a crisis level. You could smell the toxic fog even from behind an air filtration mask,” she is quoted in the press note. “From every neighbourhood, you could see the pollution obscuring buildings, trees, and people,” she said, adding that schools and offices closed or curtailed hours. “With winter approaching, the situation is set to become even worse.”
UNICEF is calling for urgent action to address this air quality crisis. “Governments in the region and around the world should take urgent steps to reduce air pollution by investing in cleaner, renewable sources of energy to replace fossil fuel combustion; provide affordable access to clean public transport; increase green spaces in urban areas; change agricultural practices and provide better waste management options to prevent open burning of harmful chemicals,” the press note reads, adding that children have a right to live in a clean environment and to breathe clean air. “We must act now.”
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