Claim– Air pollution is responsible for an estimated 7 million deaths annually worldwide.
A recent video from @AFPNewsAgency claimed that WHO had said that air pollution claims about 7 million lives yearly. He also stated that air pollution leads to a host of communicable and non-communicable diseases such as dementia, Asthma and heart diseases.
https://youtu.be/d5iDZpBLD9E?si=1e6NzjPnPWKyjUz1
This video has since gathered 1300 views; 7 likes; 4 comments; 3 shares.
NatureNews, Africa’s foremost news publications on climate change, which is dedicated to providing accurate insights to stop the spread of fake news particularly among users of social media, subjected the claim to fact checking.
Findings: Using the Google search tool in conducting this research, NatureFact, the fact checking unit of NatureNews, accessed a few papers and studies.
A thorough fact-checking investigation has revealed that this assertion is indeed true.
@Wion corroborates this claim.
https://youtu.be/Om4m-jUEjM0?si=zj-TDALLfK5VGaVy
He claims that air pollution affects about 1 billion people and kills about 7 million.
@SahirPm, @TNieVideos, @France24English and a host of others support this claim to be true in all ramifications.
https://youtu.be/Dy9rU82M4c0?si=Up0VDSEHprSFQU5x
https://youtu.be/rw3WkBHMTP0?si=AZ13MiWiUdzHkeZh
https://youtu.be/WyOOSyJFw9g?si=ae3XS-a2X22L-jR1
Three years ago, @Airrsng said air pollution claims 9 million lives yearly and @France24English claims it leads to the death of half a million babies yearly as well.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for an estimated 7 million premature deaths worldwide each year. Here are the statistics on air pollution-related deaths from 2020 to 2022 (latest available data):
– 2020: 6.67 million deaths (Source: WHO)
– 2021: 6.79 million deaths (Source: WHO)
– 2022: 7.05 million deaths (Source: WHO)
It’s Important to note that air pollution-related deaths are projected to continue rising unless drastic measures are taken to reduce pollution levels.
– 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air (WHO)
– 99% of the global population lives in areas with air pollution levels above WHO guidelines
– Air pollution is responsible for 1 in 8 deaths worldwide
– Air pollution exposure: Almost all of the global population (99%) are exposed to air pollution levels that put them at increased risk for diseases including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer and pneumonia.
– Annual deaths: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 7 million people die prematurely every year due to indoor and outdoor air pollution from anthropogenic and natural sources.
– Air quality database: The WHO air quality database compiles data on ground measurements of annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter of a diameter equal or smaller than 10 μm (PM10) or equal or smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5).
– Mortality impacts: Researchers have known for a long time that air pollution leads to a large number of premature deaths. But, in the past, the relationship between exposure and health consequences was thought to be less strong. In more recent studies, a given level of exposure is thought to lead to a larger number of deaths than in earlier research.
– Sources of air pollution: Anthropogenic sources of outdoor air pollution originate in a variety of human activities: the production of electricity (in particular in coal power plants); the burning of solid fuels (wood, charcoal, coal, crop waste and dung) for cooking and heating in billions of poor households; agriculture; industry; and road transport. The largest source of natural air pollution is airborne dust in the world’s deserts.
https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/air-pollution/who-air-quality-database/2022
Verdict– True. Air pollution causes about 7 million deaths annually.