For the first time ever, a British court ruled that air pollution was a cause of the death of a nine-year-old girl in London.
The family of Ella Kissi-Debrah, who died on February 15, 2013, after a severe asthma attack, hopes this decision would urge authorities to address the air pollution problem. Philip Barlow, from Southwark Coroner's Court in south London who oversaw the hearings in this case over two weeks, said "air pollution made a material contribution to Ella's death."
The girl lived in Lewisham, 30 meters from the South Circular, one of London's busiest roads.
"From 2010 to 2013, the asthmatic little girl had been exposed to excessive levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, in excess of World Health Organization guidelines," said Barlow. Her mother, Rosamund Kissi-Debrah was not informed of the health risks of air pollution, otherwise she would have taken steps to prevent her daughter's death, like moving to another place, he added. In a press conference, the mother praised the "fair ruling" saying she took this legal action to protect "other children."
Rosamund, who works as a teacher, said she hopes the concerned authorities adopt new laws aimed at improving the quality of air in the UK. She also regretted this matter "has not been tackled as a public health emergency," noting that air pollution kills seven million people every year, according to the WHO estimates.
In his ruling, Philip Barlow said "the death was primarily caused by acute respiratory failure, then by asthma. The girl's exposure to pollution contributed to her illness and aggravated it."
According to estimates, air pollution causes 28,000 to 36,000 deaths every year in the UK.
