世界卫生组织说,世界上90%的人呼吸着污染空气,室内污染是一个通常不为人所注意的大问题。
世卫组织在新公布的一份报告中说,空气污染每年导致700万人死亡,其中大多数是非洲和亚洲的弱势群体。
室内和室外的污染空气导致中风、心脏病、肺癌和哮喘等慢性呼吸道疾病。
世卫组织的报告说,大多数人认为空气污染来自工厂和汽车排放等外部污染源,但是室内污染每年造成将近400万人死亡。
世卫组织官员尼拉博士说:“全世界有占世界人口将近一半的30亿人仍然依赖造成严重污染的燃料来做饭、取暖或室内照明。”
他们使用煤油、木柴和其它固体燃料,而不是更清洁的电力和天然气。
尼拉博士宣布,世卫组织将于10月底在日内瓦召开第一届空气污染的全球会议,希望能找到改变现状的解决方案。
Nine out of 10 people on the planet are breathing polluted air, the World Health Organization says, with indoor pollution a major and generally unrecognized problem.
The latest report by the WHO says air pollution kills 7 million people every year with marginalized populations in such places as Africa and Asia, who bear the brunt.
Dirty air, both in and out of doors, leads strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and such chronic respiratory diseases as asthma.
While most people associate air pollution with outdoor sources such as factory emissions and cars, the WHO report says indoor pollution causes close to 4 million deaths a year.
“Three-billion people around the world…almost half of the world global population…are still relying on very polluting fuels for cooking or heating or lighting the house,” Dr. Neira says.
They include kerosene, wood, and other solid fuels instead of cleaner sources such as electricity and gas.
Dr. Neira announced WHO will convene the first-ever global conference on air pollution at the end of October in Geneva, looking to come up with interventions and solutions.