In a new and strong warning, attention should be drawn and immediate action, WHO likened the impact of air pollution on humans to smoking, using the term "new tobacco" to highlight the magnitude of the problem that most countries of the world are experiencing.
"The world has to act on the new tobacco, the poisonous air that billions of people breathe every day," said WHO Director-General Tedros Gibressus.
According to World Health Organization statistics, more than 90 percent of the world's population inhales polluted air, while research continues to reveal the devastating impact on health, especially child health.
Air pollution kills 7 million people a year, harms billions of people, and in most cities, air pollution outweighs the quality standards recommended by the World Health Organization.
Indoor air pollution is the leading cause of death in poor rural and urban households, and accounts for almost a third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease.
"No one is getting rid of air pollution, neither rich nor poor," Gibresos said in an article in The Guardian newspaper. "It's an emergency and silent state of health."
"Smog is on the planet, this is a crucial moment and we need to step up action to respond quickly to this challenge," he said, referring to "deaths and disabilities that can be avoided" because of air pollution.
Gibrisus' comments come days before the first World Congress on Air Pollution and Health at WHO headquarters in Geneva from October 30 to November 1.
The conference is held
