An estimated 4.2 million deaths are caused by a diverse range of pollutants, while around 3.8 million come from a single source – exposure to smoke from fuels and inefficient cookstoves in the home. Later that year, on 15 December, the General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/2994 (XXVII)) designating June 5 as World Environment Day and urging “Governments and the organizations in the United Nations system to undertake on that day every year world-wide activities reaffirming their concern for the preservation and enhancement of the environment, with a view to deepening environmental awareness and to pursuing the determination expressed at the Conference.” The date coincides with the first day of the landmark Conference. That means conserving energy wherever we can, whether by using less electricity or forgoing fuel subsidies to help the less fortunate gain access. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. »  For background information: https://www.un.org/en/events/environmentday/background.shtml, »  Reasons you should care about air pollution: https://www.unenvironment.org/, Copyright © Department of Environmental Affairs 2019, Regulatory Compliance and Sector Monitoring, https://www.un.org/en/events/environmentday/background.shtml. The day puts focus on … It enables medical researchers to understand human physiology; and offers substance for developing medicines. Innovative low-emission technology is at the forefront of a new revolution driven by policies pushing for lower air pollution and de-carbonization of economy.”. In 2019, China will host the global World Environment Day celebrations on the theme, ‘Air Pollution’. In the Chinese capital, Beijing, which has become almost synonymous with air pollution, the concentration of fine particulates (the tiny, deadly elements largely responsible for deaths and illnesses) in the air, has fallen by a third over the past two decades, beating the target set by the State Council, China’s main administrative body. Since it began in 1974, the event has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries.

The theme for 2019, “Beat Air Pollution,” is a call to action to combat this global crisis. "You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. And you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is. As the slogan of today’s commemoration emphasizes, though we can’t stop breathing, we can do something about the air we breathe. People are dying.

Understanding the different types of pollution, and how it affects our health and environment will help us take steps towards improving the air around us. "My message is that we'll be watching you.

Countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region: Country Health Emergency Preparedness & IHR, Health Emergency Information & Risk Assessment, Thailand becomes first in SEAR with WHO classified emergency medical team, Health Ministers Commit to Emergency Preparedness, Seventy-third Session of the Regional Committee, From vision to results: advancing health for billions in the South-East Asia Region.