全球超九成兒童呼吸有毒空氣 可阻礙大腦發育

More than nine out of every 10 children on Earth are breathing toxic air on a daily basis, which stunts their brain development and causes deadly diseases, according to a major report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

根據世界衛生組織的一份重要報告，全球超過九成兒童每天都在呼吸阻礙其大腦發育並引發致命疾病的有毒空氣。

While air pollution is an increasingly recognized problem, which costs the global economy more than $5 trillion a year, it is "uniquely damaging" to children's health, the WHO warns.

世衛組織警告稱，空氣污染越來越成爲公認的問題，每年給全球經濟造成超過5萬億美元的損失，但空氣污染對兒童健康的“危害非同尋常”。

It reports that 93% of children, including 630 million under 5, live in areas where pollutants breach WHO-recommended safety levels, and even in wealthier countries, 52% of under-fives are routinely breathing harmful air.

世衛組織報告稱，93%的兒童（包括6.3億5歲以下兒童）所生活的地區污染物水平超過世衛組織推薦的安全線，即便在較富裕的國家，也有52%的5歲以下兒童常年呼吸有害空氣。

"Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives," said WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

世衛組織總幹事特德羅斯·阿達諾姆·蓋佈雷耶蘇斯博士稱：“被污染的空氣正在毒害數百萬兒童並毀掉他們的生活。”

"This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfill their full potential."

“這不可原諒。每個兒童都應當能夠呼吸清潔的空氣，這樣他們才能成長並充分發揮其潛力。"

Air pollution also effects neurological development and cognitive ability and can trigger asthma and childhood cancer, the report says.

該報告指出，空氣污染還會影響神經發育和認知能力，並可能引發哮喘和兒童癌症。

Children exposed to excessive pollution may also be at greater risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

暴露在過度污染環境下的兒童，在成年後患心血管疾病等慢性疾病的風險也更大。