Around 93 per cent of the children globally under the age of 15 years (1.8 billion children) breathe toxic air daily. The air is so polluted that it can pose serious danger to their health and development in many cases it may even prove fatal, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.
The WHO also revealed that 600,000 children died from acute lower respiratory infections caused by polluted air in 2016. The report, "Air pollution and child health: Prescribing clean air", examines the heavy toll of both ambient (outside) and household air pollution on the health of the world's children, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
The report is being launched on the eve of WHO's first ever Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health. The report also revealed that pregnant women exposed to polluted air are more likely to give birth prematurely, and have small, low birth-weight children.
Another shocking finding was that 14 out of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India.
WHO Global Ambient Air Quality Database (update 2018), released in May, says the air pollution related mortality and disease burden India faces is also the highest in the world.
More than two million deaths occur in India prematurely every year, which amounts to 25 per cent of the global deaths due to poor air quality. Most Indian cities, unlike New Delhi, do not have an emergency response plan to tackle air pollution.
While some of the cities like Patna and Varanasi have recently formulated action plans, there are none in place to issue advisories or mitigate the pollution at the source level instantly as in the case of the Graded Response Action Plan to combat air pollution.
It says the summer-time pollution too this year was rampant as the National Capital Region experienced dust storms coupled with problems of pollution at the local level.
The WHO report says air pollution also impacts neurodevelopment and cognitive ability and can trigger asthma and childhood cancer.
Children who have been exposed to high levels of air pollution may be at greater risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease later in life.
"Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
Children are said to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution is that they breathe more rapidly than adults and so absorb more pollutants. Also, they live closer to the ground, where some pollutants reach peak concentrations -- at a time when their brains and bodies are still developing.
In addition, newborns and small children are often at home. If the family is burning fuels like wood and kerosene for cooking, heating and lighting, they will be exposed to higher levels of pollution than children who spend more time outside the home.
"Air pollution is stunting our children's brains, affecting their health in more ways than we suspected. But there are many straight-forward ways to reduce emissions of dangerous pollutants," Maria Neira, Director with the Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health at WHO, said.
Here are some foods recommended by our consultant nutritionist Dr. Rupali Datta to protect oneself from ill effects of Air pollution:
1. Vitamin C rich foods: The potent antioxidant is essential for free radical scavenging. Adequate vitamin C in our daily diets is crucial for maintaining its level in the lungs. Adults need 40mg of this vitamin/day. Fruits rich in vitamin C are amla, lemon and guava.
2. Vitamin E rich foods: This fat soluble vitamin is the first line of defense against injury to human tissues. Vitamin E in our diet usually comes from plant based cooking oils. Sunflower, safflower and rice bran oil are the top three sources followed by canola, peanut and olive oil.
3. Omega -3 Fats: These protect the body against the detrimental effects of air pollution on one's heart health and lipid profile. Foods rich in omega 3 fats are nuts like almonds and walnuts.
4. Turmeric: Turmeric is a well-known antioxidant and is said to help protect the lungs from the toxic effects of pollutants. Make yourself a glass of warm and soothing Turmeric milk and bolster your immunity system.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
(With inputs IANS)