Toxic air, water and soil are responsible for the deaths of 9 million people worldwide each year, more than the number of people who succumb to war, malaria and AIDS combined, according to a study on the impact of pollution on global public health published in The Lancet on Friday.

The landmark study by the United Kingdom-based medical journal said most of the pollution-related casualties occur in developing countries, which made me wonder what was General Secretary Xi Jinping's take on pollution when he addressed the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Oct 18.

To put it simply, Xi demonstrated a strong political will to reverse the damage caused to the air, water and soil in China while reaffirming China's commitment to doubling up on green development. Xi also vowed to carry out a "Healthy China" initiative, pledging more accessible and better medical and health service to help safeguard and improve the well-being of the people.