First Recognition of Air Pollution Signs in the UK
Nitrogen Dioxide and Fine Dust Exceed WHO Guidelines
The family of a child in the UK whose cause of death was recognized as air pollution will receive a settlement from the government. Although the amount of the settlement has not been disclosed, this is the first case in the UK where air pollution has been officially recognized as a cause of death.
On the 1st (local time), Yonhap News, citing The Times and BBC broadcasts, reported that the family of Ella Kissi-Debrah (aged 9 at the time of death), who lived in southeast London and died from an asthma attack in 2013, has settled a compensation lawsuit filed against the government.
Ella was the first case in the UK in 2020 where air pollution was recorded as a cause of death on a death certificate. Ella lived in a house 25 meters away from the South Circular Road, a heavily trafficked area, and usually walked to and from school. She began suffering from asthma just before her 7th birthday and experienced multiple attacks until her death. She was hospitalized 27 times.
The coroner's report in 2014, the year after her death, listed the cause of death as acute respiratory failure. Ella's mother, Rosamund, learned that the air pollution around their home was severe and subsequently began investigating the truth.
The coroner's court, upon reinvestigating the cause of death in 2020, determined that exposure to air pollution had a substantial impact on Ella's death. According to the court's decision, the levels of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter near Ella's home exceeded not only UK domestic standards but also the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU).
On the 31st (local time), Rosemund (center), the mother of Ella Kissi-Debrah who died from asthma, and her family are leaving the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs building. [Photo by AP/PA Yonhap News]
The court also noted that the failure to reduce air pollution levels to legal standards may have influenced the death. It was also pointed out that Ella's family had not received information related to this issue.
The memorial foundation led by Rosamund filed a lawsuit against the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Transport, and the Department of Health and Social Care, seeking compensation for Ella's "illness and premature death." Rosamund stated, "This is not a victory because Ella will not come back," but added, "It has acknowledged what happened to Ella and firmly recognized that air pollution is a public health crisis."
At the same time, they are urging the government and Parliament to enact the "Ella's Law," which defines the right to breathe clean air as a human right. The government also sent a statement to Rosamund, saying, "Once again, we sincerely express our condolences for your loss." They further promised, "Children should not suffer because of the air," and pledged to "commit to a comprehensive and ambitious 'Clean Air Strategy' to reduce everyone's exposure to air pollution."
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