The girl suffered severe asthma that caused episodes of cardiac and respiratory arrest and frequent emergency hospital admissions for three years.
His medical cause of death was noted as acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and exposure to air pollution. The coroner’s conclusion was that Ella “died of asthma due to exposure to excessive air pollution.”
Charities Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation said She was the first person in world history to have air pollution as a cause of death on her death certificate.
Forensic assistant Philip Barlow said Ella’s mother had not been given information about air pollution and asthma that could have led her to take steps that “could” have prevented her death. his daughter, according to PA Media.
“Air pollution was a major factor contributing to both the induction and exacerbation of asthma,” Barlow said while giving his findings to Southwark Coroner’s Court after a two-week investigation.
“During the course of her illness, between 2010 and 2013, she was exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide and particles that exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.”
“The main source of his exposure was traffic emissions,” he said, according to PA.
Barlow said there was a failure in this period to reduce the level of nitrogen dioxide to the limits set by domestic and EU legislation.
“We have the justice she deserved for her,” Ella’s mother, Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, said after the sentencing.
But he added: “It’s also about other children even though we walk around our city with high levels of air pollution.”
“His legacy would be to introduce a new clean air law and for governments (I’m not just talking about the UK government), governments around the world, to take this issue seriously,” Kissi-Debrah said. PA.
“I still think there’s a lack of understanding about the damage to young lungs, especially that they’re not really formed.”
Kissi-Debrah said she would rather see a public awareness campaign about the damage air pollution can cause “rather than a game of guilt.”
A 2014 preliminary investigation verdict, which concluded that Ella died of acute respiratory failure, was overturned by the high court after further evidence of dangerous levels of air pollution near her home, she reported PA.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, described it as an “iconic moment” and praised Ella’s mother for her “extraordinary” courage and campaign years.
A 2018 report by Stephen Holgate, a professor at the University of Southampton, found that air pollution levels at Catford Monitoring Station were a mile from where she lived “constantly” which she exceeded. the legal limits of the EU during the three years prior to his death, according to PA.
“If we want a healthy generation to come into the world, we will have to clean up our environment,” Holgate told a briefing after the investigation.
He said the health and medical profession must begin to “appropriate some of these problems” as was done with smoking.
“Our heart goes out to Ella’s family, who have fought tirelessly to achieve today’s historic result,” said Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation.
“Ella’s legacy has firmly focused on the invisible dangers of breathing dirty air,” particularly for those with asthma or lung disease, she said, criticizing “inadequate air quality laws and policies.”
“Today’s verdict sets the precedent for a seismic change in the pace and extent to which the government, local authorities and doctors must now work together to address the country’s health pollution crisis.” , added.
A UK government spokesman said: “Our thoughts remain on Ella’s family and friends.”
The spokesman said the government would deliver a £ 3.8 billion plan to clean up transport, combat NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) pollution and go further in protecting communities from air pollution as well as establishing ” new ambitious air quality goals “.