9 out of 10 people worldwide breathing polluted air, says WHO

GENEVA - Though more countries are taking action, still nine out of 10 people worldwide are breathing air containing high levels of pollutants, with millions of deaths every year caused by outdoor and household air pollution, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

In WHO's latest estimates, around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air. These particles are capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia, the WHO said.

In 2016 alone, outdoor, or ambient, air pollution caused about 4.2 million deaths, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths in the same period.