99% of the world’s population is exposed to air pollution that exceeds the health standards of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.). According to U.N.I.C.E.F., polluted air can lead to serious health issues, including lung damage, cardiovascular disease, and hindered brain development. The W.H.O. estimates that air pollution causes seven million premature deaths annually, and children, pregnant individuals, and low-income communities are particularly at risk. Air pollution is also an urgent climate issue, as it is largely caused by the use of fossil fuels, which has numerous negative environmental impacts.

According to the Associated Press, the countries with the most polluted air are Chad, Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. In its 2024 report Breathless Beginnings, which focused on pollution in Europe and Central Asia, U.N.I.C.E.F. found that 580 thousand “D.A.L.Y.S.” (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) were lost to pollution in 2021 in Europe and Central Asia. U.N.I.C.E.F. reported in a February press release that air pollution kills an average of 100 children each day in East Asia and the Pacific, and is linked to 25% of the deaths of children under five in that region.

Air pollution is one of the most dangerous environmental health factors in the world. According to U.N.I.C.E.F., “breathing polluted air causes more healthy years of life to be lost than any other single environmental factor, including high temperatures, unsafe water and poor sanitation.” According to the Clean Air Fund, air pollution can lead to strokes, heart attacks, cancer, and dementia, and according to the most recent State of Global Air Report, air pollution was the second largest risk factor of deaths in 2021. 

Air pollution is especially dangerous for children. As U.N.I.C.E.F. explains in Breathless Beginnings, “because children inhale more air per kilogram of body weight, they absorb more pollutants than adults.” Air pollution also poses risks to pregnancy. According to U.N.I.C.E.F., air pollution can contribute to miscarriage and preterm delivery. Particles can affect fetal development even before birth, impacting cognitive development and increasing the risk of respiratory disease.

Breathless Beginnings also highlighted the class influences risk: “The threat is often worse for low-income children living near factories or highways, where exposure to pollution is higher.” The 2024 State of Global Air Report found that people in low or middle-income countries are exposed to up to four times more particulate matter than those in wealthy countries. These socio-economic factors are important to consider when developing effective air quality solutions.

Air pollution statistics differentiate between household and ambient air pollution, the former being a result of household fuel combustion, according to the W.H.O. On its website, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) explains the different types of pollutant particles, which include PM10 (coarse particles) and PM2.5 (fine particles). According to the E.P.A., particles can be emitted from “construction sites, unpaved roads, smokestacks or fires,” as well as from “atmospheric reactions involving chemicals such as sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides that are emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles.”

According to Breathless Beginnings, as of 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council recognizes “the right to access a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.” Air pollution and human health are intrinsically tied to the environment and climate change. According to the Clean Air Fund, 85% of global air pollution is caused by the burning of biomass and fossil fuels. In Breathless Beginnings, U.N.I.C.E.F. states that “climate change is expected to worsen air quality with increased ground-level ozone and wildfires.” Transitioning to clean energy would improve both human health and the state of the climate. In addition to moving towards clean energy, U.N.I.C.E.F. has encouraged governments and schools to implement air quality alert systems, designate pollution free zones near schools, weatherize infrastructure for heat efficiency, and improve air quality control in neonatal intensive care units.

Some progress has been made. Since 2000, the Health Effects Institute reports that there has been a 36% decline in deaths due to household air pollution, largely because of air quality improvements in South Asia and China. However, not every country is working to improve air quality and global health. According to the Clean Air Fund, 36% of counties currently do not track their air quality, and 158 countries and territories worldwide do not have pollution standards. Given how dangerous air pollution is for human health, an increase in data tracking and air quality standardization is essential. Unfortunately, some governments are currently working to suppress access to air quality data. 

On March 5, the Associated Press reported that the Trump administration has chosen to stop sharing the air quality data that is gathered by its embassies and consulates across the world. Scientists are concerned about the impact this could have on global health, as many global communities rely on U.S. pollution data. The Associated Press reported the responses of several environment and pollution experts. “Their [data centers] removal means a critical gap in environmental monitoring, leaving residents without accurate information on hazardous air conditions,” said Khalid Khan, a Pakistani environmental expert. This decision by the United States will be a barrier to health and environmental wellbeing across the globe, and yet another example of the administration’s destructive, non-cooperative approach to global policy.

Given air pollution’s devastating health effects, improving air quality should be a top priority for governments worldwide. As with many climate issues, the solutions to air pollution provide an opportunity to address multiple issues simultaneously—in this case, a global health crisis, and the negative climate impacts of fossil fuels.