Brother9-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, who died of asthma, was concluded by investigative agencies due to air pollution.
Ella’s mother, Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, fought non-stop after her death, calling for the Clean Air Act to be introduced.
Previously, the investigating agency concluded that the level of air pollution that exceeded the permissible level, mainly from vehicles, in south London, caused Ella’s death in February 2013.
Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, a middle school teacher, struggled non-stop for justice for her daughter. Image: Guardian.
Rosamund, with her persistence, helped the investigative agency come to a historic ruling when it first noted that air pollution was the cause of death for a person.
Philip Barlow, a South London inner city investigator, said Ella died of acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and exposure to polluted air.
“Failure of governments and other agencies to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2), emissions from motorcycles, cars, power plants and industrial facilities or to provide information to citizens about the dangers These substances, which could lead to Ella’s death. She died of asthma due to exposure to air pollution in excess, “Philip Barlow said.
Ella lives near roads where the air is heavily polluted by NO2 and fine dust, exacerbating her asthma. Image: Guardian.
Ella lives about 25 meters from Lewisham Road and other busy roads. The amount of NO2 emissions in Lewisham exceeded the permitted limits of the UK, EU as well as the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO). The PM 10 and 2.5 fine dust concentrations were also higher than those in WHO guidelines.
Three years before her death, Ella suffered multiple seizures, 27 hospitalizations following severe asthma attacks.
Seven years after Ella’s death, NO2 emissions dropped properly for France across the county for the first time in 2019, but fine dust continues to exceed WHO limits.
The first hearing on Ella’s death in 2014 did not document air pollution as a cause of death. Rosamund continued to fight to find the cause of her daughter’s acute asthma attacks, collapse attacks, apnea and cardiac arrest.
The second investigation comes after her lawyer presented new evidence from Professor Stephen Holgate, an international expert, showing air pollution levels at the Catford observatory, a mile from her home. , always exceeding the permitted limit of the UK and EU.
And this time, Rosamund won justice for her little daughter.
“I think this will be a stepping stone to introduce the new Clean Air Act. Not only in the UK, I hope other countries take this issue seriously as well. My biggest wish is to stop these problems. Similar death in the future, “she expressed.
Instead of playing the blame game, Rosamund said, there needs to be a public awareness campaign with clear, concise messages to educate people about the harm air pollution is doing.
Simon Birkett, founder and director of Clean Air in London, said: “Governments have a duty to protect the lives and the environment for present and future generations. To do this, they need to have. The new Clean Air Act aims to address current pollution and ensure a clean environment for generations to come.
“In the seven years since Ella’s death, nearly a quarter of a million other UK families have suffered tragedy when vulnerable people inhale toxic air,” said Greg Archer of the Transportation NGO. and Environment says. “In modern England this can be prevented.”
The continued failure of the government to ensure safe air quality led Client Earth, an environmental legal group, to take the British government three times to court.
Katie Neild, a lawyer for Client Earth, said: “The investigation shows that the government is aware of the harmful effects of air pollution and how slow they have responded. Policy aimed at cleaning the air? “
In response to the ruling, a government spokesman said: “We offer our deep condolences to the Ella family. We are working on a £ 3.8 billion plan to tackle the umbrella. vehicle and NO2 pollution to go further in protecting communities from air pollution “.
Recently, the British government has attempted to introduce stricter WHO limits on fine dust into the environmental bill.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson in December 2020 announced his ambitious UK goal to pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030, compared with those in 1990.
The UK is also the first major economy to bring a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero between now and 2050.
Mai Dung (According to the Guardian)
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