Killed by Mould: A court Ruled

KILLED BY MOULD: A COURT RULED

By Omar Mohammed

Two years old Awaab Ishak has died because of piled mould in family’s house belonging to a Housing associated in England. The father of the deceased toddler has reportedly told the housing association about the mould three years his kid passed away because of respiratory condition caused by a mould in their one-bed room flat in Manchester. Reports suggest that Awaab who was born prematurely at 31 weeks, didn’t have any serous health conditions that could lead to his death.

The toddler has first suffered shortage of breath on 19th December 2020 and was taken to emergency unit at Royal Oldham Hospital and was later that day recharged. However, his conditions got serous in the following day, where he had to be taken to the urgent care unit. There he suffered from respiratory and cardiac failures, he was transferred to the hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. The family has accused the Rochdale Housing Association of not having listened to them, despite their repetitive report about the mould developing though multiple years before the death of their son. A letter from the family tells the housing association to stop discriminating and being a racist by treating unfairly to those with foreign background. Globally, worlfd Health Organisation (WHO) estimates a big proportion of worlds 300 million children suffering from asthma is due to persistent exposure to moisture or mould in their homes. According to NHS the mould is usually caused by too much moisture in homes due to leaking pipes, damp in basements or rain seeping inside the building because of damage to the ceiling or gaps around the window frames. It adds even newly built homes can develop mould, and this happen when the water used during the building has not yet dried fully. England’s national health agency believes that mould in homes can lead to allergens, irritations, and sometimes toxic substances. These can damage people by inhaling or touching a mould. Immediate signs of mould caused health problems include sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash. NHS adds that living in a mouldy house could put people in a risk for asthma attacks.

Those at high risk from mould prompted health problems include babies, children, old people, those living with skin problems such atopic aczema, respiratory problems, and those with weak immune system. It is recommended that no safe level of such mould in a house, thereby once mould is found in a house, the source of the excess moisture is to be identified. This helps families know what is causing or contributing to the humidity and necessary repairs can be easily done before it becomes a health problem. To prevent it, however, health professionals believe letting fresh air into the house, adequate heating particularly in cold weather and constantly checking roofs, windows and pipes are not leaking and letting water in are the most important preventive measures every house needs to put into practice.