Children

Despite the obstacles, Pakistan has shown significant reductions in reported polio cases in recent years, though sporadic outbreaks serve as stark reminders of how tenuous progress can be.

Many experts emphasise the need for conditional cash transfer programmes, improved rural schooling, transportation support for students, and vocational training initiatives to ensure that families are not forced to choose between survival and education.

The evidence from the study is unequivocal, researchers point out: air pollution is a direct threat to children’s intellectual growth, disproportionately affecting the vulnerable.

WHO plans to update the recommendations as new evidence emerges and will work with partners in 2026 to ensure that those with the most urgent needs are prioritised.

There is growing scientific support for including metabolic health in the cost-benefit calculations of air-quality interventions. A polluted city is not just a respiratory hazard – it may also be silently fuelling obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases at scale.

With student suicides rising and mental-health challenges deepening, India stands at a critical juncture. Whether schools, policymakers, and families respond with urgency – or continue to treat emotional distress as an afterthought – may determine the fate of millions of young people across the country.

It demands not just emergency medical resources, but long-term planning – from urban infrastructure to water governance – to break the cycle of mosquito-borne disease.

While the government emphasises protection and better age verification, the new regime raises complex trade-offs around privacy, data security, and individual rights.