India, Jan. 8 -- Pollution is one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time. While its effects are serious for people of all ages, scientific evidence shows that children suffer disproportionately compared to adults. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, more than 90% of the world's children breathe toxic air daily, exposing them to a lifetime of health risks.

Children are not simply "small adults." Their bodies are developing rapidly, and this growth makes them biologically more sensitive to environmental hazards like pollution. Children breathe more air relative to their body weight than adults - roughly twice as much per kilogram - meaning they inhale a higher dose of toxic particles for the same level...