Coroner calls for law change following the death of nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah from air pollution

The Prevent Future Deaths report from Philip Barlow, assistant coroner for Inner South London, said Ella’s fatal asthma attack revealed a much wider threat and that action was needed to prevent further deaths.

Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, Ella’s mother, said she was relieved by the findings of the report but urged the Government to act faster.

She said: “Children are dying unnecessarily because the Government is not doing enough to combat air pollution.

“In order to save lives the Government must act now and take the three steps that the Coroner has identified in his report.

“It’s crucial that the UK takes more forceful action to reduce pollution to safe levels – first and foremost, by complying with WHO air quality guidelines.

“I will be contacting George Eustace to ask him to make amendments to the Environment Bill to enshrine WHO limits and to achieve these in the shortest possible time. Health needs to be a major focus in combatting air pollution.

“I will also be asking the Secretary of State to ensure that there is a duty to inform the public and train the medical profession as the Coroner recommended.

“There needs to be improved public information about the levels of pollution that people are exposed to and the health risks.

“As the parent of a child suffering from severe asthma, I should have been given this information but this did not happen.

“Because of a lack of information I did not take the steps to reduce Ella’s exposure to air pollution that might have saved her life.

“I will always live with this regret. But it is not too late for other children.

“I invite the Government to act now to reduce air pollution. Immediately. Not in eighteen months, not in five years – that’s not fast enough.

“People are dying from air pollution each year. Action needs to be taken now or more people will simply continue to die.”

In his report, Mr Barlow called for more information about air pollution and its impact to be made available to the public.

Research by Environmental Defense Fund Europe (EDF) show dangerous nitrogen dioxide pollution produced by traffic is up to 31 per cent higher in areas where people from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds are most likely to live.

In Lewisham, children under nine more 40 per cent more likely to be admitted to hospital with asthma than the national average.

That figure jumps to 78 per cent more likely for children under 19.

Mr. Barlow said: “I am concerned at the comparatively low level of access to public information, such as the UK-Air website.

“Leaving this as a local issue is clearly not resulting in people accessing relevant information, and it is therefore a concern that needs to be brought to the attention of central government.”

He also added that medical professionals were not doing enough to communicate the risks of air pollution with patients.

“Air pollution was not discussed as a possible causative factor [throughout Ella’s illness] even though Ella was seen by GPs and specialists in several specialist hospitals,” he said.

“It is an issue that needs to be raised with a large number of organisations responsible for medical education, which I have listed in the report.”