State of Global Air 2020 reports air pollution's impact on neonatal mortality

The newly released State of Global Air 2020 reports on the first comprehensive analysis of air pollution’s global impact on neonatal mortality. The analysis finds that outdoor and household particulate matter pollution contributed to the deaths of nearly 500,000 infants in their first month of life. Nearly two-thirds of those deaths were linked to the use of solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, and animal dung for cooking.

As in previous years, the 2020 update of the State of Global Air report and accompanying website provides a comprehensive global report card on the levels and trends in air quality and health for every country in the world. The report and website are a collaboration between the Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project, with expert assistance from the University of British Columbia. Complete results for GBD 2019 were published in the international medical journal The Lancet on October 15, 2020.

In the State of Global Air 2020 interactive app, you can explore, compare, and download data and graphics reflecting the latest air pollution levels and associated burden of disease for over 200 individual countries, territories, and regions, as well as track trends from 1990 to 2019. Sign up for updates to hear about upcoming webinars.