Air pollution is more of a health issue

The World Health Organization has released its latest global report assessing ambient air pollution and the resulting disease burden. While some progress has been made around the world since the last WHO report, the fact is that millions of people die prematurely as a direct result of air pollution.

It is no exaggeration to say that air pollution constitutes a public health emergency.

While air pollution is unsightly and demoralizing - witness the sharp contrast between an orange or red-alert day versus a beautiful blue-sky day in Beijing - the ramifications of air pollution, both outdoors and indoors, are of much greater consequence.