Air pollution in London is a health crisis that is causing permanent damage to children’s health (Lucas Davies)London Air Pollution Responsible for About 1,000 Hospital Cases Every Year
Asthma attacks are the leading cause of children needing hospital treatment in the UK
Air pollution in London is a health crisis that is causing permanent damage to children’s health (Lucas Davies)
By means of a study, researchers from King’s College London and Imperial College London report that about 1,000 London citizens every year are hospitalized as a direct result of air pollution. Those suffering from respiratory conditions like Asthma and COPD are at risk, and about 25 percent of the hospitalizations are reported to involve children under the age of fourteen who are asthma sufferers. Older citizens living with lung conditions like COPD were also shown to be a high-risk group, particularly among those over the age of 65.
In addition, the researchers point out that Asthma attacks are the leading cause of children needing hospital treatment in the UK, and that air pollution could be triggering as many as 10 percent of the cases requiring hospitalization of children. The report highlights air pollution in London as a health crisis that is causing permanent damage to children’s lung development and that is estimated to cost the capital billions per year.
The research was sponsored by London Mayor Sadiq Kahn, who hopes to draw attention to city air quality problems and who is responsible for the city’s new Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) which was inaugurated in April. There are also plans to keep the public informed of air pollution hazards with signage in public places alerting commuters to air pollution forecasts.
“As someone who developed adult-onset asthma over the last few years, I know from personal experience that London’s toxic air is damaging people’s health,” the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said. “This study is a stark reminder that air pollution disproportionately affects the most vulnerable Londoners and I’m doing everything in my power to protect children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions from our filthy air. That’s why next week I’ll be launching the world’s first 24-hour seven-day-a-week Ultra Low Emission Zone in the central London Congestion Charge zone, which will help clean our air and reduce harmful road transport emissions in central London by an estimated 45 percent.”
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