The British government has apologized for the death of a 9-year-old girl who is believed to be the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed on her death certificate, after a decade-long campaign to highlight the dangers of car emissions. for children in low-income communities.
The apology was part of a decision announced Thursday a case filed by the mother of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrahwho developed severe asthma shortly before his 7th birthday and suffered a severe coma before he died on February 15, 2013. The government also made an undisclosed financial compensation.
“Although this will not bring Ella back, we have finally accepted that this is an acknowledgment of what happened to her, and putting the issue of air pollution on the map, that it is a public health problem … and something needs to be done.” so,’ said Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, Ella’s mother, after meeting with government officials.
“Today is over but I will continue, the government has assured me that it will continue to work with me to clear the air.” Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah fought to reopen the coroner’s investigation into Ella’s death after the so-called Dieselgate scandal revealed how Volkswagen hid the true level of emissions from its diesel vehicles.
A study by the Royal College of Physicians later showed that around 40,000 deaths can be attributed to outdoor air pollution each year in the UK, with the burden being much lower in low-income communities near busy roads and other major sources of air pollution.
Ella grew up just 25 meters from the Southern Ring Road, a major thoroughfare on the southern edge of central London.
The British High Court in May 2019 set aside the findings of the first trial, which attributed Ella’s death to asthma.
In December 2020, a second inquest found that air pollution contributed to Ella’s death, along with acute respiratory failure and severe asthma.
Throughout her illness, Ella was exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter that exceeded World Health Organization guidelines, Deputy Coroner Philip Barlow ruled. There are also “known failures” to bring nitrogen dioxide levels within limits set by the European Union and domestic legislation.
“Ella’s mother was not given information by health professionals about the health risks of air pollution and its potential to exacerbate asthma,” said Barlow. “Had he been given this information, he would have taken steps that could have prevented Ella’s death.” The child’s estate managed by her mother sued the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for compensation for Ella’s illness and early death.
The government on Thursday described Ella’s death as a “tragedy,” and said her mother’s public campaign for better air quality had had a “huge impact.” Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said Environment Minister Emma Hardy has confirmed her commitment to passing legislation that will bring the UK into line with WHO standards, according to a statement issued by her law firm, Hodge Jones & Allen.
“On behalf of the government departments that participated in this request, we once again take this opportunity to say that we are very sorry for your loss and we express our condolences to you as Ella’s mother, her siblings, and everyone you know. ,” the government said in a statement. “Losing a loved one at such a young age is an immeasurable loss.”