Ella Kissi-Debrah inquest: Excessive air pollution contributed to nine-year-old’s death, coroner rules
Video report by ITV News Correspondent Martha Fairlie
Air pollution contributed to the death of nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah in south London, a coroner has ruled. The landmark ruling is the first time in the UK air pollution has been recorded as a medical cause of death.
Ella Kissi-Debrah died in February 2013 having suffered a fatal asthma attack. Giving his conclusion over almost an hour, assistant coroner Philip Barlow said:
"Air pollution was a significant contributory factor to both the induction and exacerbations of her asthma.
"During the course of her illness between 2010 and 2013 she was exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in excess of World Health Organisation guidelines.
"The principal source of her exposure was traffic emissions."
The coroner added that Ella’s mother had not been given information which could have led to her take steps which might have prevented her daughter’s death.
Mr Barlow said: “If she had been given this information she would have taken steps which might have prevented Ella’s death.”
Ahead of the ruling Ms Kissi-Debrah’s lawyers said a finding that air pollution caused or contributed to Ella’s death would make her the first person in the UK – and possibly worldwide – for whom air pollution is listed as the cause of death on a death certificate.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the coroner’s conclusion was a “landmark moment” and called pollution a “public health crisis”.
Ella had endured numerous seizures and made almost 30 hospital visits over the previous three years.
An inquest ruling from 2014, which concluded she died of acute respiratory failure, was quashed by the High Court following new evidence about the dangerous levels of air pollution close to her home.
Ella had lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road in Lewisham, south-east London – one of the capital’s busiest roads.
Speaking last week when hearings ended, Ella’s mother Rosamund Kissi-Debrah said: “The reason why this whole thing started, at the end of it, I would like justice for my daughter and that is why I am here, first and foremost.
Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham and Cllr Sophie McGeevor, Cabinet member for Environment and Transport their thoughts were with Rosamund and her family "at this very difficult time."
They added: "Rosamund’s campaign for clean air has been hugely impactful both locally and nationally in bringing awareness to the dangers of air pollution.
"We support her in continuing this fight and will do everything we can to enact and call for change – working with the Government and Transport for London to try to reduce the impact of traffic and air pollution on our community.
"Our hope is that today’s ruling is the evidence needed to effect lasting change, to finally secure a national commitment to tackling air pollution in a meaningful way."