Children have a right to clean air, and we must fight for it to become a reality

Abstract

Children have a right to clean air, and we must fight for it to become a reality Air pollution is complex-but the WHO air quality targets are clear, writes Camilla Kingdon Camilla Kingdon President"Legally binding targets based on WHO guidelines would reduce the number of deaths from air pollution in the UK." 1 This was the clear conclusion from the coroner following the death of nine-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah in 2013 following an asthma attack. Ella was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death. 2 As paediatricians we are committed to learning from this very tragic example-no other child in the UK should be allowed to suffer the way that Ella did.

Hope can bring solutions to climate despair

“…Children are among the groups most vulnerable to climate change, with long term consequences on health and wellbeing (doi:10.1136/bmj.o2425). 10 Adolescents (10-24 year olds), a quarter of the world's population, are taking matters into their own hands. Despite the odds, despite being the group most affected by the impending climate disaster, they are increasingly turning to activism and pioneering a human rights based approach to climate change (doi:10.1136/bmj.o2401).…”