[Graphic News] Environmental risks kill 1.7m kids under 5 a year

More than 1 in 4 deaths in children under 5 are linked to polluted environments, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization.

Each year, environmental risks such as indoor and outdoor pollution, secondhand smoke, unsafe water and poor sanitation kill around 1.7 million children between the ages of 1 month and 5 years, the reports found.

Harmful exposure can start in the mother‘s womb, increasing the risk of premature birth, which can lead to lifelong health problems.

When children are exposed to air pollutants they also can face lifelong increased risks of chronic respiratory diseases, like asthma, and of heart disease, stroke and cancer.