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March 25th, 2014:

SCMP: Pollution kills 7 million people every year, says WHO report

from Lo Wei of the SCMP:

Around seven million people died in 2012 as a result of exposure to air pollution, accounting for one in eight deaths around the globe, the World Health Organisation said yesterday.

The figure has doubled over eight years. WHO officials explained that the latest estimate was more comprehensive than those in the past.

New methods were developed to measure outdoor air pollution in rural areas and more diseases like stroke and heart disease were found to be caused by air pollution, said Dr Carlos Dora, co-ordinator for interventions for healthy environments with the WHO’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

He said the figures might not show whether the problem had worsened, but he added: “The problem is at large and should be a priority.”

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