The Nation Newspaper

Tag: WHO

  • Malaria: Lagos records 1.2m cases in 2016 – Commissioner

    The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it was committed to ensuring the control of malaria, as it was endemic in the state and affected human development.

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, who made the assertion at the 5th “Doctors Discuss Malaria’’ Progamme, in Lagos, said the state recorded 1, 199, 002 cases in 2016.

    According to Idris, represented by Dr Rebecca Ayorinde, Assistant Programme Coordinator, Lagos State Malaria Elimination Prevention, the cases of malaria were documented through routine data collection processes.

    The event, which has the theme, “Maternal Health and Malaria Priority Access for Women’’, was to commemorate the 2017 World Malaria Day 2017.

    Idris said: “Malaria is endemic in Lagos State.

    “It poses major challenges to the state as it impedes human development.

    “It is both a cause and consequence of under-development and remains one of the leading causes of morbidity in the state.

    “The cosmopolitan nature of the state, coupled with people’s behaviour and the abundant distribution of coastal areas, encourage the availability of stagnant water for the breeding of anopheles mosquitoes.

    “This is responsible for the stable pattern and continuous transmission of malaria all year round.

    “Malaria therefore remains a priority disease and the state government will continue to demonstrate its commitment to its control’’.

    Idris said the government was tackling the scourge of malaria through some preventive measures that included environmental management and integrated vector control.

    “Others are monitoring and evaluation with emphasis on operational research and the use of its results for evidence-based programming.

    “Lagos State Ministry of Health provides Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets to pregnant women at antenatal clinic booking and children under the age of five years.

    “It also provides Sulpahdoxine Pyrimethamine for the Intermittent Prevention of Malaria in Pregnancy (IPTp) in antenatal clinics.

    “Also, the state conducts Indoor Residual Spraying and Larviciding in selected local governments in the state,’’ he said.

    Idris said that the routine data collected from the private health sector in 2016 showed that 56 per cent of pregnant women received at least one dose of IPTp.

    “About 93 per cent of confirmed cases received appropriate treatment for malaria and 74 per cent of persons with fever received a parasitological test.

    “These statistics show there is still a lot to be done to increase access to malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment services in the state,’’ he said.

    The commissioner advised that all fever cases be tested for malaria before treatment.

    “It is important to test before treatment, a policy by the Federal Ministry of Health, which states that all fever cases should be tested and confirmed before treatment,’’ he said.

    Contributing, Prof. Akin Osibogun said that in spite of the progress and improvement in malaria prevention globally, it still remained a major concern to public health.

    Osibogun, a former Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, said that 92 per cent of deaths in Africa were as a result of malaria.

    On the effects of malaria on maternal health, he said: “Most times, pregnant women and children are at higher risk of malaria, particularly pregnant woman because of their weak immunity.

    “Malaria in pregnant woman can lead to preterm babies or even still birth babies.

    “The foetus gets most of the nutrition through the placenta but once the placenta is affected by malaria parasites it leads to reduction of the foetus; this causes low birth weight in the babies.’’

    On some prevention strategies, Osibogun said: “According to WHO, the new guidelines says that pregnant women should have IPtp till delivery.

    “The usage of Long Lasting Insecticidal Net (LLIN) must be used regularly by pregnant women and children.

    “It is also important to control the vector that transmits malaria, which is mosquito, by making sure there is no stagnant water in the environment.

    “The critical strategy to prevent malaria in pregnant woman is to increase the use of Insecticide-Treated Nets and indoor spraying with insecticides,’’ Osibogun said.

    In her remarks, Dr Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo, the convener of “Doctors Discuss Malaria’’ said that preventing malaria in pregnancy was critical to elevating health and welfare of Nigerian families.

    She said that the training of doctors and nurses was also critical to end the scourge of malaria.

    “A lot of this responsibility is on us as doctors to understand how to break the malaria cycle.

    “We must be able to recognise and treat malaria and propagating testing before treating.

    “Over the past years, we have trained a total of 1,542 doctors on the management of malaria.

    “This is aimed at creating a strong health system of which the human resource is of great importance to offer access to prevent new cases and ensure lifesaving treatment for patients,’’ Ayo-Oyalowo said.

  • Nigeria receives 500,000 doses of meningitis vaccine- WHO

    Nigeria has received 500,000 doses of meningitis C vaccine to combat the epidemic in the country, the WHO has said.

    The doses were sent by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, an organisation that coordinates the provision of vaccine during disease outbreak.

    The WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.

    He said the vaccines, funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have been administered in Zamfara and Katsina States where the disease was most endemic.

    Alemu said an additional 820,000 doses of the meningitis C conjugate vaccine donated by the United Kingdom government to WHO was currently being sent to Nigeria.

    He said in the last week, the ICG also sent 341,000 doses of the meningitis C vaccine to Niger Republic.

    He said over 1,300 suspected cases of meningitis had been found in the region particularly in districts that border Nigeria and in the Niamey region of the country.

    NAN

  • WHO: Mental health care and treatment

    In the context of national efforts to develop and implement mental health policy, it is vital to not only protect and promote the mental well-being of its citizens, but also address the needs of persons with defined mental disorders.

    Knowledge of what to do about the escalating burden of mental disorders has improved substantially over the past decade. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating both the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of key interventions for priority mental disorders in countries at different levels of economic development. Examples of interventions that are cost-effective, feasible, and affordable include:

    • treatment of epilepsy with antiepileptic medicines;
    • treatment of depression with psychological treatment and, for moderate to severe cases, (generically produced) antidepressant medicines; treatment of psychosis with older antipsychotic medicines and psychosocial support;
    • taxation of alcoholic beverages and restriction of their availability and marketing.

    A range of effective measures also exists for the prevention of suicide, prevention and treatment of mental disorders in children, prevention and treatment of dementia, and treatment of substance-use disorders. The Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) has produced evidence based guidance for non-specialists to enable them to better identify and manage a range of priority mental health conditions.

    Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. The WHO constitution states: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” An important implication of this definition is that mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.

    Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

    Mental health and well-being are fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, emote, interact with each other, earn a living and enjoy life. On this basis, the promotion, protection and restoration of mental health can be regarded as a vital concern of individuals, communities and societies throughout the world.

     

    Determinants of mental health

    Multiple social, psychological, and biological factors determine the level of mental health of a person at any point of time. For example, persistent socio-economic pressures are recognised risks to mental health for individuals and communities. The clearest evidence is associated with indicators of poverty, including low levels of education.

    Poor mental health is also associated with rapid social change, stressful work conditions, gender discrimination, social exclusion, unhealthy lifestyle, risks of violence, physical ill-health and human rights violations.

    There are also specific psychological and personality factors that make people vulnerable to mental disorders. Lastly, there are some biological causes of mental disorders including genetic factors which contribute to imbalances in chemicals in the brain.

     

    Mental health promotion and protection

    Mental health promotion involves actions to create living conditions and environments that support mental health and allow people to adopt and maintain Rather, they would have done professionally well, and commended. The place where they treat should also be hygienic. When they do not refer to the appropriate hospital promptly, some serious damages would have been done to the patient and they come in, highly damaged. Trado-healers should see us as working together because of the patient involved and not as rivals,” said Prof Adewuya.

    He noted that there are different forms of mental disorders, that required different treatments but it has been observed that healers apply the same format in handling their patients, “There are many different mental disorders, with different presentations. They are generally characterised by a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others.

    “Mental disorders include: depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders including autism. There are effective strategies for preventing mental disorders such as depression. There are effective treatments for mental disorders and ways to alleviate the suffering caused by them. Access to health care and social services capable of providing treatment and social support is important,” he explained.

    Prof Adewuya said: “As a professor of psychiatry I have analysed these herbal plants and other ingredients used by the healers, I know what works therapeutically. I can only advocate on regulation of the dosage so no damage is done to other organs As scientists we are promoting what we have around here, we are not throwing out the bath water with the baby”.

    He said Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder, affecting about 21 million people worldwide. Psychoses, including schizophrenia, are characterised by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behaviour. Common psychotic experiences include hallucinations i.e. hearing, seeing or feeling things that are not there and delusions fixed false beliefs or suspicions that are firmly held even when there is evidence to the contrary. The disorder can make it difficult for people affected to work or study normally.

    “Stigma and discrimination can result in a lack of access to health and social services. Furthermore, people with psychosis are at high risk of exposure to human rights violations, such as long term confinement in institutions. Schizophrenia typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is effective. With appropriate treatment and social support, affected people can lead a productive life, be integrated in society. Facilitation of assisted living, supported housing and supported employment can act as a base from which people with severe mental disorders, including Schizophrenia, can achieve numerous recovery goals as they often face difficulty in obtaining or retaining normal employment or housing opportunities,” said Prof Adewuya.

    End.

     

     

  • Meningitis: Minister, WHO warn Zamfara, other Northeast states

    Meningitis: Minister, WHO warn Zamfara, other Northeast states

    •$1b needed to vaccinate 21m •Disease kills 489 in five states

    Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole has called on the Zamfara State Governor Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari to sanction those selling vaccines and life-saving drugs provided by the Federal Government for free.
    Also yesterday, northern traditional leaders and governors moved to tame the outbreak in some parts of the region, as they held an emergency meeting in Kaduna.
    Adewole, who spoke on the occasion, said $1 billion was required to vaccinate 21 million people in five meningitis endemic states.
    He added that the outbreak has killed 489 persons in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kabbi, Niger and Katsina states.
    According to him, 4,637 suspected cases have been recorded.
    The minister said: “Meningitis vaccination is very expensive. To effectively stop meningitis in Nigeria, we need to vaccinate 21 million people in the five states, which will cost about $1 billion. We need Immunity Trust Fund to cater for immunisation. We need to put more money in health to build robust health system that is resilient. Nigeria would need to put more money on vaccine. Nigerian vaccine has been subsidised by Gavi. But in 2015, we said we are the largest economy in Africa, which means we can stand on our own. So, by 2025, Nigeria will need to fund its vaccines by itself.
    “The state governments also need to put in more money on health. We want the state governments to support us to revitalise the PHC for every political ward to have at least one PHC. We need to put people there, community health extension workers, and to invest in routine immunisation.
    “About seven million births are recorded annually. If we vaccinate all of them, we would protect them from meningitis and other diseases.”
    The World Health Organisation (WHO) also blamed the outbreak of meningitis in some parts of the country, particularly Zamfara State, on lack of robust surveillance.
    The global health body said the Zamfara outbreak was avoidable.
    The health minister warned the Zamfara State governor that some people were selling the drugs sent by the Federal Government for the treatment of meningitis. “We must apprehend them,” he said.
    Adewole, who spoke while visiting the state, called on the Yari to focus on strengthening the Primary Health Centre (PHC) system.
    “Once the PHC system is in place, we can tackle not just this outbreak but 70 to 80 per cent of the cases of our people,” he said.
    Adewole said any single case could have been easily reported at the PHC level and a response would have been activated and this scale of the outbreak would have been avoided.
    “Next year dry season is coming again. We need to make sure that we are prepared to tackle the next outbreak,” he reminded.
    WHO also yesterday blamed the outbreak of meningitis in some parts of the country, particularly Zamfara State, on lack of robust surveillance.
    The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) warned against the spread of the outbreak to the Northeast, which it said is already suffering from malnutrition.
    The development partners spoke in Kaduna yesterday at the Emergency Meeting of northern traditional rulers and leaders.
    WHO Country Representative, Wondimagegnehu Alemu said Nigeria, henceforth, needed to spend more and invest on outbreak investigation and detection, particularly in rolling out robust surveillance system.
    He said 500 cases of meningitis discovered sometimes last year in Zamfara would have been avoided, if there was a robust surveillance system.
    In his goodwill message, UNICEF County Representative, Mohammed Fall, said children in the Northeast were already facing the burden of malnutrition and the consequences of devastating conflicts. He warned that penetration of meningitis in the region would increase the burden.
    Making presentation on the disease, the National Coordinator of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the outbreak started in Zamfara State in November, but they were only notified on February 7, and they deployed along with other stakeholders a week later.
    “No fewer than 489 deaths have been recorded in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kabbi, Niger and Katsina State. And 4,637 suspected cases of meningitis have also been recorded”, said Dr. Ihekweazu.
    Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal described the meningitis as a dangerous epidemic, saying that his state had recorded over 1000 cases so far.
    According to him, ‘In Sokoto state, we had cases in about seven local governments. We had over 1000 cases reported and the state government had to mobilised with traditional leaders in the state and other stakeholders, particularly our development partners.
    “We had a collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, we received over 20,000 vaccines from the ministry and we are expecting about 800,000 more vaccines, our target is to have 2 million vaccines for vaccinations to cover most of the areas.
    “We have mobilised a team led by the Commissioner of Health. We have had challenges of drugs and challenges of health personnel as well”, he said.
    Also, Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai said it was a matter of great sadness for governors to see the number of deaths recorded in their states due to meningitis.
    He lamented that the North West zone has been battling meningitis epidemic for the past two months, saying it was a type of meningitis that health care professionals in their states were not conversant with, the type C meningitis.

  • Zamfara meningitis outbreak avoidable, says WHO

    Zamfara meningitis outbreak avoidable, says WHO

    •UNICEF warns against spread to Northeast

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has blamed the outbreak of meningitis in some parts of Nigeria, particularly Zamfara State, on lack of robust surveillance, saying the Zamfara outbreak was avoidable.
    The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has also warned against a spread of the disease to the Northeast, which it said is already suffering malnutrition.
    The development partners spoke yesterday in Kaduna State at an emergency meeting of Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on primary health care delivery and some northern governors on Cerebrospinal Meningitis outbreak.
    According to the Country Representative of WHO, Wondimagegnehu Alemu, Nigeria should invest on outbreak investigation and detection, particularly in rolling out robust surveillance system.
    He said 500 cases of meningitis discovered last year in Zamfara State would have been avoided if there was a robust surveillance system.
    His words: “We really appreciate the timely response of the Federal Government’s team to this outbreak and the opportunity to work with the government.
    “We value the critical role of traditional leaders in promoting health, preventing diseases and encouraging compliance of people affected by the disease. It is often said health is wealth and none of you likes to see or have sick people. It is from that perspective I see committed leaders, officially elected, as well as traditional leaders, standing for their people.
    “I won’t go into the details, but in the past, meningitis type A was the one that ravaged most of these areas. Since you have successfully conducted the preventive vaccination, it has now shifted.
    “The current type C is a new one. It has never been known to cause this magnitude of outbreak; it used to be only sporadic cases. So, that has left us with no option than to rely on few of the tools that we have, including few vaccines that are available at global level, through the strategy contingency plan. The government has applied for, received and judiciously distributed to the affected places, and the vaccination has taken place. More is coming.
    Representative of the Department for International Development (DFID) Salma Kolo blamed the outbreak on weak health system in Northern Nigeria. He called on leaders of the region to increase efforts to fix the health system.
    She said: “The government of United Kingdom is concerned about the outbreak of meningitis in Northern Nigeria, just like it is concerned about maternal and new born mortality.
    “The United Kingdom government had sent its contribution of 800,000 doses of meningitis vaccines through WHO and that has been acknowledged and it is already being utilised.”
    UNICEF hails Army for releasing Boko Haram suspects
    By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha
    The United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has lauded the Army for releasing about 600 suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
    It said the Army’s action was a major step towards protecting children affected by the insurgency.
    A statement by WHO said: “It provides hope in a conflict that continues to have an enormous impact on people’s lives. These children were held under administrative custody, on alleged association with Boko Haram militants. They are victims of the conflict and it is crucial they receive medical care, psychosocial support and other basic services that will help them to regain their dignity.
    “Once that process of recovery has started, we can help them return to their families, school or learn new skills that will give them hope for the future.”
    UNICEF maintained that it will continue to work with relevant authorities to access children who are held for screening in order to safeguard their care and protection.
    “When military screening is needed, children should only be held as a measure of last resort and for the shortest time possible, in accordance with national and international standards. These children are first victims of the conflict and require support to recover from their experiences and reintegrate with their families and communities,” the statement added.

  • Polio: 116m children to be vaccinated in Nigeria, 12 others

    The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) said over 116 million children in 13 African countries would be vaccinated against polio next week.

    In a statement in Abuja on Friday, the UN bodies said 90,000 vaccinators had been mobilised to carry out the immunisation designed to tackle polio stronghold in the continent.

    They said the synchronised vaccination was one of the largest ever implemented in Africa.

    The statement signed by UNICEF Chief of Communication, Ms Doune Porter, quoted WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, as saying that the exercise was part of urgent measures to permanently stop polio in Africa.

    Moeti listed the benefiting countries as Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

    He said all children under five years would be immunized.

    Moeti said, “All children under five years of age in the 13 countries will be simultaneously immunized in a coordinated effort to raise childhood immunity to polio across the continent.

    “In August, 2016, four children were paralysed by the disease in security-compromised areas of Borno, North-East Nigeria, widely considered to be the only place on the continent where the virus maintains its grip.

    “20 years ago, Nelson Mandela launched the pan-African ‘Kick Polio out of Africa’ campaign.

    “At that time, every single country on the continent was endemic to polio, and every year, more than 75,000 children were paralysed for life by this terrible disease.

    “Thanks to the dedication of governments, communities, parents and health workers, this disease is now being beaten back to this final reservoir.”

    NAN

     

  • WHO announces antibiotic-resistant bacteria list

    WHO announces antibiotic-resistant bacteria list

    The World Health Organisation (WHO), on Monday, published its first-ever list of antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens”, a catalogue of 12 families of bacteria that posed threat to human health.
    The list was drawn in a bid to guide and promote research and development of new antibiotics, as part of WHO’s efforts to address growing global resistance to antimicrobial medicines.
    WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation Marie-Paule Kieny, in a statement said “this list is a new tool to ensure research and development responds to urgent public health needs. Antibiotic resistance is growing, and we are fast running out of treatment options. If we leave it to market forces alone, the new antibiotics we most urgently need are not going to be developed in time”.
    The list is divided into three categories according to the urgency of need for new antibiotics: critical, high and medium priority.
    The most critical group of all includes multidrug resistant bacteria that pose a particular threat in hospitals, nursing homes and among patients whose care requires devices such as ventilators and blood catheters.
    They include Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and various Enterobacteriaceae, including Klebsiella, E.coli, Serratia and Proteus.
    They can cause severe and often deadly infections such as bloodstream infections and pneumonia, according to WHO.
    The list highlights in particular the threat of “gram-negative” bacteria that were resistant to multiple antibiotics.
    These bacteria had built-in abilities to find new ways to resist treatment and could pass along genetic material that allowed other bacteria to become drug-resistant as well, Kieny said.
    These bacteria have become resistant to a large number of antibiotics, including carbapenems and third generation cephalosporins, the best available antibiotics for treating multi-drug resistant bacteria.
    Kieny said G20 health experts will meet this week in Berlin to deliberate further.
    The list is intended to spur governments to put in place policies that incentivise basic science and advanced research and development by both publicly funded agencies and the private sector investing in new antibiotic discovery.
    While more research and development was vital, it could not solve the problem, the WHO official said.
    To address resistance, there must be better prevention of infections and appropriate use of existing antibiotics in humans and animals, as well as rational use of new antibiotics.

  • WHO to build pharmacy plant in Imo

    WHO to build pharmacy plant in Imo

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) is building a N3.5 billion world-class pharmaceutical plant in Imo State.

    The project, which is located at Avu in Owerri West Local Government Area, is jointly sponsored by Alm Buildmart Limited and Nalis Pharmaceutical Limited, in partnership with WHO.

    Managing Director of Alm Builmart, Mr Obinna Onwunali, addressed reporters at the weekend in Owerri, the state capital, during the launch of the website of one the subsidiaries of the company, Easter Properties.

    He assured that the project would boost healthcare delivery in the state.

    Obinali said WHO assured that one of the companies, Alm Buildmart, was starting its campaign for affordable shelter for Southeast residents.

    He noted that with the successful launch of the website, easternproperties.ng, the challenges in buying or selling of properties in the zone would be surmounted.

     

  • WHO warns of new cancer cases

    WHO warns of new cancer cases

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of a 70 per cent increase in new cases of cancer in the next two decades.

      About 8.2 million people die yearly from cancer, an estimated 13 percent of deaths worldwide.

      WHO noted that there are over 100 cancer types, each requiring unique diagnosis and treatment.

    These are part of revelations by the global health watchdog as the world marks this year’s World Cancer Month, wit the It has the theme, ‘We can. I can’

    It, however, said over 30 per cent of cancer deaths could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors, especially tobacco use.

    Early detection, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment, including pain relief and palliative care, help increase cancer survival rates and reduce suffering.

    Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, tailored to tumour stage, type and available resources. Comprehensive cancer control plans are needed to improve cancer prevention and care, especially in low-income and middle-income countries.

    Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells, which can invade and spread to distant sites in the body. Cancer can have severe health consequences, and is a leading cause of death. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach, and liver cancer are most common in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, uterine cervix, and stomach cancer are common among women.

  • WHO releases estimates on air pollution exposure and health impact

    A new World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality model has confirmed that 92 per cent of the globe’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits.

    “The new WHO model  shows  countries where the air pollution danger spots are, and provides a baseline for monitoring progress in combatting it,” said Dr. Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director General at WHO.

    The report also represented the most detailed outdoor air pollution-related health data, by country, ever reported by WHO. The model is based on data derived from satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors for more than 3000 locations, both rural and urban. It was developed by WHO in collaboration with the University of Bath, United Kingdom (UK).

    Air pollution’s toll on human health

    Some three million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can be deadly. In 2012, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6 per cent of all global deaths) were associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution. The report also revealed that nearly 90 per cent of air-pollution-related deaths occured in low- and middle-income countries, with nearly two out of three occurring in WHO’s South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions.

    It further said 94 per cent of deaths are due to non-communicable diseases – notably cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections.

    “Air pollution continues to take a toll on the health of the most vulnerable populations – women, children and the older adults,” added Dr Bustreo. “For people to be healthy, they must breathe clean air from their first breath to their last.”

    Major sources of air pollution include inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities. However, not all air pollution originates from human activity. For example, air quality can also be influenced by dust storms, particularly in regions close to deserts.

    Improved air pollution data

    The WHO model has carefully calibrated data from satellite and ground stations to maximise reliability. National air pollution exposures were analysed against population and air pollution levels at a grid resolution of about 10 km x 10 km.

    “This new model is a big step forward towards even more confident estimates of the huge global burden of more than six million deaths – one in nine of total global deaths – from exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution,” said Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. He added that more and more cities are monitoring air pollution now, with satellite data more comprehensive, and the WHO getting better at refining the related health estimates.