An air quality model publicized by the World Health Organization on Tuesday confirms that 92% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed the United Nations body's limits. According to a WHO news release, the model is based on data derived from satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors for more than 3000 rural and urban locations.
About 3 million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Nearly 90% of air-pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with nearly 2 out of 3 occurring in WHO’s South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. The Middle East, including the eastern Mediterranean basin, also ranked high.