Air pollution will reduce a child's life span by nearly two years: study

The life expectancy for a child born today will be shortened by an average of 20 months by breathing polluted air, according to The State of Global Air report.

The study published by the Health Effects Institute and the University of British Columbia shows that toxic air is the fifth leading cause of early death globally.

It warns that children in South Asia will be hit the hardest with their lives expected to be shortened by 30 months from a combination of outdoor and indoor air.

In sub-Saharan Africa, a child's life expectancy could be shortened by 24 months, 23 months in East Asia and 20 months for those in developed parts of the Asia Pacific and North America.