Children are dying from air pollution. Here's how we can protect them

Air pollution affects approximately 90% of children globally, causing long-term health issues, impaired development, and death. Children are more vulnerable than adults due to faster breathing rates and smaller bodies. The document highlights the disproportionate impact on minority children in the US and those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where indoor air pollution from solid fuels is a primary driver of neonatal deaths. Proposed solutions include transitioning to green public transport, such as electric school buses, and establishing safe, low-pollution walking routes to school.

• Children are uniquely susceptible to air pollution because they breathe faster than adults and their smaller body size leads to a higher proportional intake of pollutants.
• Air pollution is a major driver of pediatric health issues, contributing to 13% of global childhood asthma cases and causing reduced birth weight, preterm birth, and impaired lung function.
• There is a significant disparity in pollution exposure and health outcomes based on geography and race; 98% of children under five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) breathe air exceeding WHO limits, compared to 52% in high-income countries. In the US, Black children experience nearly double the asthma rate and four times the asthma mortality rate of White children.
• Indoor air pollution from cooking with solid fuels is the primary cause of neonatal deaths in LMICs, accounting for nearly two-thirds of such deaths worldwide. Globally, air pollution caused 500,000 newborn deaths in 2019, with nearly half occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Effective interventions include transitioning to electric school buses—particularly in the US where they carry 25 million children daily—and implementing school district initiatives to map walking routes with minimal emissions.

APA

Duong, R. M. N. R. B. G. D. (2021). Children are dying from air pollution. Here's how we can protect them. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/how-we-can-protect-children-dying-from-air-pollution/

Chicago

Duong, Riya Master, Neha Rana, Ben Grobman, David. Children are dying from air pollution. Here's how we can protect them. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/how-we-can-protect-children-dying-from-air-pollution/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Duong |first1=Riya Master, Neha Rana, Ben Grobman, David |title=Children are dying from air pollution. Here's how we can protect them |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=19 November 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/how-we-can-protect-children-dying-from-air-pollution/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{duong2021children, author = {Duong, Riya Master, Neha Rana, Ben Grobman, David}, title = {{Children are dying from air pollution. Here's how we can protect them}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/how-we-can-protect-children-dying-from-air-pollution/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }