Pollution accounts for 9 million lost lives every year, the equivalent of London’s population, according to a study published on 18 May by the Lancet Planetary Health journal and produced under the auspices of the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP). Pollution is responsible for one in six deaths globally, sounding another alarm for greater care for the environment.
Since the release of a first report in 2017, the overall impact of pollution has not improved.
The number of deaths attributed to pollution exceeds that of war, terrorism, malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, drugs and alcohol combined. The authors also estimate the economic impact of pollution at $4.6tn ($9m per minute).
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