9 out of 10 people in world breathing polluted air: WHO

27 September, New York

World Health Organization (WHO) has said, 9 out of 10 people globally are breathing poor quality air. Talking to reporters, Maria Neira, head of the WHO’s department of public health and environment, said that the new report on pollution is extremely worrying.

Terming the report as a ‘public health emergency’, Ms Neira urged governments to take up measures like cutting the number of vehicles on the road, improving waste management and promotion of clean cooking fuel.

The WHO report is based on data collected from more than 3,000 sites across the globe. According to the report, poorer countries have much dirtier air than the developed world.

It found that 92 percent of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits.