In the UK, A nine-year-old girl, Ella Kissi-Debrah, died in 2013 from an asthma attack that resulted in respiratory failure. It was later discovered by Stephen Holgate that the levels of pollution near her home were illegal.
PHOTOGRAPH: KEVIN SCHAFER/GETTY IMAGES
Air pollution has officially been labeled as a cause of death with the coroner ruling that it “made a material contribution” to her death.
“Ella died of asthma contributed to by exposure to excessive air pollution. The whole of Ella’s life was lived in close proximity to highly polluting roads. I have no difficulty in concluding that her personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide and PM was very high.”
Barlow – Air pollution listed as an official cause of death in the UK for the first time
The World Health Organization has estimated that nearly 7 million people are killed by air pollution each year. Children who live in poorer areas are more susceptible to asthma.
The U.K has announced that it would end the sale of gas and diesel cars 10 years earlier than planned, by the year 2030. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, plans to have the country reach zero emissions by 2035.