First global conference on air pollution and health opens in Switzerland (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

The conference, attended by ministers of health, energy, and environment, intergovernmental agencies, and health professionals, hopes to come up with a strategy that will reduce air pollution significantly. Air pollution is a major cause of premature death, causing some 7 million deaths annually. At this conference, the WHO is calling on all nations to implement global rules to protect air quality and the health of children. To reach this goal, governments need to decrease dependence on fossil fuels and increase the use of recycled energy. The WHO urges parents to reduce household air pollution by using less polluting fuels for cooking and heating to reduce children’s exposure to pollution.