World Health Assembly draws attention to the world’s leading environmental health risk – Air pollution:

What colour is your city? Healthy blue or smoggy grey? Air pollution is the cause of one-quarter to one-third of the major non-communicable disease killers – stroke, heart attack, respiratory disease and lungs, and a leading killer worldwide.

Every year, WHO Member States gather at the World Health Assembly (WHA) to decide on the policies of the organization. This year’s WHA showcased an interactive “BreatheLife” exhibit to raise awareness of the health and climate impacts of air pollution and the practical solutions to reduce the growing burden. The exhibit has been traveling around the world over the past two years from COP22 to Habitat III, featuring a 3D graphic from the famous street artist Kurt Wenner, illustrating scenes from clean and polluted cities, “solution mobiles”, and a stationary bike that can power a cellphone.

Below are some snapshots from the WHA, where many delegates posed in front of the exhibit to call for action to address air pollution in their city and country.