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Pollution is a massive, overlooked cause of disease, death and environmental degradation. In 2015 pollution-related disease (PRD) caused 9 million premature deaths – three times as many deaths are caused by AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. 92% of PRD occurs in low and middle-income countries. Ambient air, chemical and soil pollution are all on the rise, and non-communicable diseases (NCD) caused by these forms of pollution are increasing. Pollution and climate change are closely linked; both arise from the same sources, and both can be controlled by similar solutions providing a critical potential for mitigating and adaptive measures and related co-benefits. The African continent faces some of the most severe health impact wordwide caused by air pollution. In 2019, 14% of child deaths under 5 across Africa were related to air pollution. The high risk for children is caused by air pollution in the household due to the use of solid fuels for cooking.

The category sheds light on pollution as part of the triple planetary crisis, its implications for health and solution pathways.

Learning objectives:

• Learners will be able to recognize the negative health consequences of environmental pollution.

• Learners will be able to describe the solution pathways of pollution and the associated health co-benefits.