THE World Health Organisation (WHO) says almost the whole world is breathing unhealthy air calling on leaders to address climate change and environment crisis.
HealthTimes Reporter
This year on April 7, the world commemorates World Health Day running under the theme, “Our Planet, our health.”
On this World Health Day (April 7, 2022), WHO is issuing an urgent call for accelerated action by leaders and all people to preserve and protect health and mitigate the climate crisis as part of an “Our planet, our health” campaign marking the organization’s founding day, which falls at a time of heightened conflict and fragility,” said the WHO in a statement.
According to the WHO, 99 percent of the world population is being exposed to the burning of fossil fuels
“In issuing its call-to-action, WHO notes that 99 per cent of people breathe unhealthy air mainly resulting from burning of fossil fuels. A heating world is seeing mosquitos spread diseases further and faster than ever before,” the WHO said.
WHO said extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, land degradation and water scarcity are displacing people and affecting their health.
“Pollution and plastics are found at the bottom of our deepest oceans, the highest mountains, and have made their way into our food chain and blood stream.
“Systems that produce highly processed, unhealthy foods and beverages are driving a wave of obesity, increasing cancer and heart disease while generating up to one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. This health and social crisis is compromising people’s ability to take control over their health and lives,” added the WHO.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “The climate crisis is a health crisis: the same unsustainable choices that are killing our planet are killing people.
