‘Long and painful journey’ to official apology for Ella’s pollution-related death

The mother of a girl who died from an asthma attack caused by pollution has vowed to continue the fight for clean air, accepting the government’s apology over her daughter’s death.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said it was an “extremely long and painful journey” until she received official confirmation of what happened to her daughter and put air pollution on the map as a public health crisis.

Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old from south-east London, suffered a fatal asthma attack in February 2013 after being exposed to excessive air pollution.

In a landmark 2020 coroner’s case, Ella – who lived 25 meters from the busy South Circular Road in Lewisham – became the first person to have air pollution listed as the cause of death at an inquest in the UK.

Three government departments have resolved a claim brought by law firm Hodge Jones & Allen for an undisclosed amount and issued a statement telling Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah “we are truly sorry for your loss” and that no child should have to suffer as Ella did Yes.

As part of the settlement, Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah and Ella’s siblings, 17-year-old twins Robert and Sophia, met Environment Minister Emma Hardy at Defra’s offices in London on Thursday.

In a later speech, Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said it was a “bittersweet” moment to accept the government’s apology.

She said: “We have an apology from the mayor and an apology from the government. It will never bring Ella back to life. Christmas is coming and it’s always a difficult time.

“But I think this matters to the general public: air pollution is an invisible killer, and this helps bring it to light.

“Today it finally ended, but I intend to continue and the government has assured me that it will continue to work with me to clean the air.”

As ministers grappled with the NHS crisis, she highlighted the role of air pollution in cancer, obesity and other diseases and warned: ‘If you don’t clean the air you won’t get to the top of the National Health Service. “

She also said there was an economic argument for tackling air pollution that was keeping people from getting sick, adding: “It’s affecting the health of the nation, it’s a public health crisis.”

She warned that Ella remains the only person in the world whose death certificate has air pollution written on it, even though seven million people die prematurely every year, and also received news that another child in London had died of asthma.

“No child should die in 2024,” she told non-Defra journalists.

“It’s not just about Ella, it’s about all the children.”

She said she had pushed for a public health campaign and, in the wake of the controversy over the expansion of London’s Ulez Clean Air Zone, said it was important to educate people about the “invisible” threat posed by air pollution.

She added that a Clean Air Act is still needed.

“For me, it’s about the health of the nation. This isn’t about Ella. Her death certificate listed air pollution and that was all I could do for her.

“Now it’s about you, me, our children, the most vulnerable people, including the elderly.”

A letter to Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah from the three departments involved in the case said the government was “truly sorry for your loss” and offered their sincere condolences to her, Ella’s siblings and everyone who knew her.

A statement from ministers from three departments said “no child should suffer like Ella did” and said: “The loss of a loved one at such a young age is an immeasurable loss.

“The tireless work undertaken over the years by Ella’s family and friends, especially you, her mother, has shed much-needed light on the dangers posed by air pollution.

“Air pollution is a public health issue that the government is working to address,” the statement said, adding that Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah helped ensure the issue was on the government’s agenda.