Exposure to environmental pollution remains a major
source of hazard not only for our health but also for our
planet. In 2012, WHO estimated that exposures to polluted
soil, water, and air contributed to an estimated 8·9 million
deaths worldwide. Of these deaths, 94% (8·4 million) were
in low-and-middle-income countries. Different pollutants
are linked in children to non-communicable diseases (such
as asthma), cognitive disorders, and perinatal defects, and,
among adults, to heart disease, stroke, and cancer. However,
although environmental pollution is reaching disturbing
proportions worldwide, it remains a neglected problem in
national policies and on international development agendas.
What drives pollution? What strategies can be taken to
prevent and control pollution?
