Nine out of ten people in the world are subject to polluted air each day.

(The World Health Organization)

At a Glance

Nine out of ten people globally breathe polluted air each day. More than 7 million people die prematurely each year from microscopic pollutants in the air. Human-caused climate change impacts people's health in a myriad of ways, WHO says.

Air pollution and global warming are among the World Health Organization's top ten threats to global health in 2019.

WHO and its health partners choose ten issues that demand the world's attention as part of the organization's five-year strategic plan known as the .

The plan focuses on "a triple billion target: ensuring benefit from access to universal health coverage, 1 billion more people are protected from health emergencies and 1 billion more people enjoy better health and well-being," according to the press release.

Air pollution is considered by the organization to be one of the top threats to human health.

WHO noted that globally breathe polluted air each day.

The organization explained not only that air pollution is destroying our health, but also that it's the to health.

More than 7 million people die prematurely each year from microscopic pollutants in the air — primarily a result of burning fossil fuels — which can penetrate respiratory and circulatory systems and damage the lungs, heart and brain. At least one third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are directly linked to air pollution

“The true cost of climate change is felt in our hospitals and in our lungs. The health burden of polluting energy sources is now so high, that moving to cleaner and more sustainable choices for energy supply, transport and food systems effectively pays for itself,” said Dr. Maria Neira, WHO director of public health, environmental and social determinants of health, in the press release.

Burning fossil fuels is the primary driver of climate change, which WHO says impacts people's health in a myriad of ways.

"Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress," the organization said.

The most troublesome air pollutant for health is particulate matter, which is a mix of solid and liquid droplets that come mainly from fuel combustion and road traffic, WHO says.

Other deadly pollutants include nitrogen dioxide from road traffic or indoor gas cookers, sulphur dioxide from burning fossil fuels and ozone at ground level, which is triggered by the reaction of sunlight with pollutants from vehicle exhaust.

WHO noted in its report that even if counties stick to their commitments made during the Paris accord negotiations, the world is "still on a course to warm by more than 3 degrees Celsius this century."

Another issue high on the organization's list is "fragile and vulnerable settings," areas where people's health is at risk from prolonged crises like drought, flooding, famine, and climate and political migration.

(MORE: Exodus: the Climate Migration Crisis)

More than 1.6 billion people, or 22 percent of the global population, live in places where "protracted crises ... and weak health services leave them without access to basic care," WHO noted

Other issues signaled by the organization as threats to global health include noncommunicable diseases, a possible global influenza pandemic, antimicrobial resistance, Ebola and other high-threat pathogens, Denge fever, HIV, weak primary health care and the growing number of people who refuse to vaccinate their children.