Air pollution originates from various sources, affecting public health significantly. Its invisible nature makes it a persistent public health challenge, contributing to decreased life expectancy and lower quality of life. It is argued that air pollution acts as a 'frailty multiplier,' increasing vulnerability to other health conditions, rather than being a direct cause of death. Regulatory actions, such as the IMO 2020 regulations on sulfur emissions from shipping fuel, have shown some success in reducing these emissions, although questions remain on how compliance was achieved in a cost-sensitive industry. A regional breakdown of pollution-related deaths reveals alarming figures, particularly in Asia, and highlights disparities in pollution impact globally. There is a call for measuring the impact of pollution in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QUALYs) lost, rather than purely the number of deaths.