Remembering Ella
Clean Air Day raises awareness about air pollution and promoting actions to improve air quality. Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah’s story brought to the fore the devastating effects of air pollution on public health. Ella’s premature death, at the age of nine, was directly linked to her exposure to excessive air pollution in London, making her the first person in England to have air pollution officially named as a cause of death by a coroner.
Ella was a talented and vibrant young girl who enjoyed sports, music, and reading. However, her life was cut short due to the detrimental impact of air pollution on her health. Living close to the South Circular Road in Lewisham with Rosamund, her mother and siblings, Ella’s death was ruled to be as a direct result of air pollution.
The severity of air pollution in the UK cannot and must not be overlooked. It is the largest environmental risk to public health, causing ongoing high mortality rates. Prolonged exposure to air pollution can lead to reduced life expectancy and a range of health issues, including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, lung cancer, dementia, cognitive decline, diabetes, and adverse birth outcomes. The Ella Roberta Foundation campaigns for Clean Air For All https://ellaroberta.org/
Despite the known dangers and the legal violations regarding air pollution levels, action from the UK Government remains inadequate. Sadly, there continue to be many pressing public health concern, including exceeding levels of nitrogen dioxide.
Cleaning up the toxic air in the UK is crucial to prevent further tragedies like Ella’s and to safeguard the health and well-being of us all in the UK and abroad.
As Ella’s mum has said and we support “We believe in a world where everyone can breathe air that is free from toxic pollution, regardless of where they live, their economic status or ethnic background.” #CleanAirDay #Fightforwhatsright