New Report Highlights the Impact of Air Pollution in Children

A new report outlines the sources of air pollution, its effects on children and young people, and highlights the work being done to address the issue. The report is led by Save the Children International organization.

Air pollution is a major health challenge in low to middle income countries where children are more vulnerable.

‘Use visual arts, music and theatre to raise awareness on issues of air pollution.’

Every day around 93 per cent of the world's children under 19 years breathe air that is so polluted, it puts their health and development at risk. In 2019, air pollution contributed to nearly 500,000 deaths among infants in their first month of life.

Report authors investigated the huge impact the unregulated burning of plastic waste has on air pollution and identified open burning of waste, including plastic waste as a significant source of air pollution in cities in less developed countries.

Plastic waste is often utilized to supplement fuel on open fires used for cooking, heating and lighting homes in informal settlements in the global south. This results in high exposures to air pollution in children, both outdoors and indoors.

They also used art-based methods in the Sustainable Transitions to End Plastic Pollution (STEPP) project, collaborating with community and environmental organisations in Kenya and Bangladesh to explore and initiate solutions to plastic waste.

STEPP outputs include a documentary, music video and a mural, all created with artists and musicians from the Mukuru Youth Initiative to educate the local community on reducing plastic pollution.

Interventions to solve air pollution problems need to be socially and culturally appropriate, affordable and acceptable to the recipients.

It is important to have meaningful consultations with stakeholders, working with individuals and communities who are affected, and building capacity within communities to identify, understand and help to create solutions.

The report concludes that to reduce air pollution, emissions and exposure to pollution, action is needed at local, national and international levels. In many cases, these actions can contribute to achieving multiple other UN sustainable development goals, including climate change mitigation.

An integrated approach to action is needed, involving collaboration with community members, planners and policymakers.



Source: Medindia