More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of are attributable to unhealthy environments. Every year, environmental risks – such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, second-hand smoke, unsafe water, lack of sanitation, and inadequate hygiene – take the lives of 1.7 million children under 5 years, says a new WHO report.

Air pollution is the leading environmental cause of death worldwide according to the State of Global Air 2017, a new, first annual report and interactive website launched at www.stateofglobalair.org. The report also finds that 92% of the world’s population lives in areas with unhealthy air.

This quick assessment has been carried out by Centre for Science and Environment to ascertain how switching from biomass-based solid fuels to cleaner liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking of midday meals in anganwadis (day care centres that facilitate informal learning under supervision) in Bihar can help reduce exposure of children to toxic

As winter sets in and smog envelopes the North Indian belt further, yet another damning report stresses on the urgent need to address the problem of air pollution in India and China.

Almost one in seven of the world’s children, 300 million, live in areas with the most toxic levels of outdoor air pollution – six or more times higher than international guidelines – reveals this UNICEF report.