A new study has linked exposure to second-hand smoke to deadly heart disease worldwide, according to Tribune Online. The research raises particular concern for sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of people exposed to second-hand smoke has nearly doubled since 1990. The findings highlight the growing public health burden of passive smoking, especially in regions where exposure rates are rising rapidly.

A new report cited by Premium Times warns that without stronger climate and clean air intervention, the share of the global population exposed to the most dangerous PM2.5 concentrations could rise from 27 per cent in 2025 to 34 per cent by 2050. According to the report, decisive climate and clean air action could prevent up to 144 million premature deaths worldwide by mid-century, underscoring the health benefits of reducing air pollution and emissions.

The World Meteorological Organization has warned that wildfire smoke is undermining progress toward cleaner air worldwide, according to Eastleigh Voice. Fine particles from smoke can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, raising the risk of serious health problems. The report links deteriorating air quality to wildfire pollution rather than emissions trends alone, presenting it as a global environmental and public health concern requiring continued monitoring.

Tobacco smoking may significantly reduce the chances of conceiving, with women who smoke facing a 40 per cent higher risk of infertility than non-smokers, according to a new World Health Organization knowledge summary reported by the Kenya News Agency. The report cites growing evidence linking tobacco use to infertility in women, as well as poor sperm quality and sexual dysfunction in men.

Gas flaring in Rivers State communities has been associated with increased rates of childhood deaths and respiratory diseases, highlighting the human cost of this environmental pollution, according to Punch.

Global cancer cases are projected to rise by 67 per cent by 2050, according to a report cited by the Eastleigh Voice. Lung cancer was the most common cancer worldwide in 2024, recording almost 2.6 million new cases and about 1.9 million deaths. The figures highlight the growing burden of cancer on health systems globally and underscore concerns among health experts about rising incidence and mortality rates in the coming decades.