A smoggy view of the Shanghai skyline.

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At a Glance

The World Health Organization says 92 percent of the world is breathing excessive air pollution.Pollution is leading to a slew of related health issues and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, among others.Areas hardest hit include Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.

More than nine out of 10 people worldwide live in areas with excessive air pollution, a new World Health Organization report says.

The new air quality model confirms that lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits, according to a press release.

"The new , and provides a baseline for monitoring progress in combatting it," said WHO Assistant Director-General Flavia Bustreo.

With the most comprehensive air-pollution health data collected to date, notes that some 3 million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution, with 90 percent of pollution-related deaths occurring in low- to middle-income countries. The highest concentration, with nearly two out of three deaths attributed to air pollution, occurs in the Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions.

Many of the fatal diseases affecting people in high-risk areas includecardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections.

"Air pollution continuesto take a toll on the health of the most vulnerable populations – women, children and the older adults," Bustreo added. "For people to be healthy, they must breathe clean air from their first breath to their last."

Developed by WHO in collaboration with the University of Bath, United Kingdom, the model used is based on "data derived from satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors for more than 3,000 locations, both rural and urban," according to the press release.

Some major sources of air pollution include "inefficient modes of transport, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities," the report notes. Other sources of poor air quality come from nature, including dust storms.

As the press release notes, world leaders set a goal to reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from air pollution by 2030. In conjunction, WHO approved a for accelerated action on air pollution and its roots at the local level.