Did air pollution kill this nine year old girl?

This 9-year-old English girl may officially become the first to die from air pollution. her story 👇

Ella Kissi-Debrah was first admitted to hospital with a coughing fit at age six. The girl developed severe asthma that forced her to visit up to 27 times the cent

Lewisham, in south-east London, one of the most traffic-congested spots in the British capital. In the three years prior to her death, the sensors at Catford station “consistently” exceeded the maximum limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter set by the EU. This report, carried out by Dr. Stephen Hogate – one of the UK’s top air quality specialists – has been provided as one of the main evidence in the second judicial investigation into the death of this girl, which began yesterday in the UK and it can set a legal precedent in Europe and other parts of the world. “It will soon be eight years since Ella died and getting this research has been a long and hard struggle,” acknowledges the mother, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah,

foundation with her daughter’s name to defend the rights of other children with asthma. “What I want is justice for my daughter, and that the true cause of her death be recorded on her death certificate.” It is estimated that air pollution contributes to the premature death of at least 40,000 people a year in the British Isles, of which some 9,600 take place in London. According to the World Health Organization, poor air quality in cities can contribute to 4.2 million deaths worldwide (to which must be added another 3.8 million deaths caused by indoor pollution due to exposure to dirty fuels in kitchens in developing countries).

Silent killer “Air pollution is a silent killer, and more than 90% of children breathe toxic air every day”, warns the Spanish doctor María Neira, head of the Department of Public Health and Environment of the WHO. ” Ella Kissi-Debrah’s untimely death at age nine highlights the unhealthy levels of pollution these young people are exposed to. Open investigation can strengthen the case that everyone has the human right to breathe clean air. ” Jocelyn Cockburn, the family’s attorney, will argue in court that

“The inaction of the British authorities” may have in fact compromised Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, considering that the polluted air that Ella was forced to breathe was equivalent to

denying her “the right to life.” At the opening of Ella’s case, investigating judge Philip Barlow specified that the investigation will serve to determine whether the contamination caused her death or to what extent it could have contributed, and to learn how the contamination is measured. air toxicity, what steps are taken to reduce it, and how citizens are encouraged to reduce their exposure. The first witnesses intervened by videoconference; Among them, the head of Environmental Health of the Lewisham district, David Edwards, who acknowledged that in the surroundings of the house where the girl lived the annual limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter of NO2 was “consistently” exceeded between 2006 and 2010. Harriet Edwards of the British Lung Foundation, has joined the complaint against “illegal and unsafe levels of air pollution” in most British cities. Among the witnesses called to testify is precisely the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who contracted asthma as a child due to the high levels of pollution in Tooting, the neighborhood where he grew up south of the Thames. The London Transport Authority, the Secretary for the Environment and the Secretary for Health have also been cited as “stakeholders”. Since his arrival as mayor of London in 2016, Sadiq Khan has made fighting pollution one of his top priorities, with the extension of the Ultra-Low Emisiomes Zone (ULEZ) to much of the urban perimeter. Even so, It took just five days for the British capital in 2017 to exceed the maximum allowed limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) for the whole year. Despite the wounds reopened by the second judicial investigation, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah (who has three other children) assures that the legal battle is a way to keep alive the flame of what was “the soul” of the house when she died at age nine: “Life has changed, but what will never change is how much we love Ella. I may not be here, but my love has never diminished: I will fight for justice for Ella as long as I can, and from all possible ways. ” Katie Nield, Attorney at Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah (who has three other children) assures that the legal battle is a way to keep alive the flame that was “the soul” of the house when she died at the age of nine: “Life has changed, But what will never change is how much we love Her. I may not be here, but my love has never diminished: I will fight for justice for Her as long as I can, and in every way possible. ” Katie Nield, Attorney at Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah (who has three other children) assures that the legal battle is a way to keep alive the flame that was “the soul” of the house when she died at the age of nine: “Life has changed, But what will never change is how much we love Her. I may not be here, but my love has never diminished: I will fight for justice for Her as long as I can, and in every way possible. ” Katie Nield, Attorney at

ClientEarth, the organization that brought the British Government to court over “illegal” levels of nitrogen dioxide in several British cities, has backed the case from start to finish: “She

You may be the first person in the world with air pollution recognized as the cause of your death. Political leaders must sit down and take note of this crucial investigation. To prevent further tragedies, we need strong laws that put people’s health first. “