Urban air pollution claims more than 800,000 lives worldwide every year, half of which occur in China, which is the world’s biggest polluter after the USA. Many world leaders baulk at the perceived cost of introducing and promoting green measures, but WHO scientists said they should approach the issue more in terms of how much can be saved in future health care costs by introducing measures to reduce heat waves, disease and water shortages. “Prevention is cheaper than cure,” said Hisashi Ogawa, regional adviser for healthy settings and environment for the WHO in Manila.

Additional measures, such as walking or cycling instead of using a car, could also reduce incidence of diabetes and obesity, said Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, global environmental change and health scientist at the WHO.

July 2007