Despite these data gaps, Neira said the UN agency now had more information than ever about pollutants in the planet’s air.
Using both satellite and ground measurements “is a big step forward towards even more confident estimates of the huge global burden”, of dirty air, she added.
The WHO has estimated that more than six million deaths per year are linked to exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution.
Data is more solid for outdoor pollution, which is blamed for more than three million fatalities annually.
But indoor pollution can be equally as harmful, especially in poorer developing world homes where cooking often involves burning charcoal.
Nearly 90-percent of air pollution-related deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, the WHO said.
Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region — including China, Malaysia and Vietnam — are the hardest hit, the data showed.
Using a different data set, the WHO reported in May that 80 per cent of the world’s city dwellers breathe poor quality air, a figure that rose to 98 per cent in poorer countries.
Sourced from agencies, Featured image courtesy: www.freemalaysiatoday.com
