The life expectancy of children born today will be shortened by an average of 20 months due to toxic air that is affecting the entire world, with the highest number of victims in South Asia, according to a study by the State of Global Air (SOGA) 2019.
In South Asia, the situation is even more alarming, where children could have their lives cut short by 30 months, and in sub-Saharan Africa by 24 months, due to a combination of air pollution from traffic and industry, and dirty indoor air from indoor fires. “That children’s lives are being cut short is a shock,” said Robert O’Keefe, vice president of the Health Effects Institute, which produced the report. “There is no magic bullet, but governments should act.”
