Source : UN Multimedia / 26 Mar 2014

Around 7 million people across the world died as a result of air pollution exposure in 2012 according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The death rate which equates to one in eight of total global deaths is more than double the previous estimates.

WHO says the figure confirms that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk.

Dr Maria Neira, a WHO Director for Public Health, says pollution affects all people.

“Air pollution  is now the biggest environmental health problem and is definitely affecting everyone from developed and developing countries. So we need to think about that, that is not a problem affecting exclusively developing countries, is affecting both, rich and less rich countries. “

The new data reveals a stronger link between both indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure and cardiovascular diseases including strokes and heart disease.

Low and middle-income countries in South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions had the largest air pollution-related burden with a total of almost six million deaths.