This Friday marks six years since Ella Kissi-Debrah’s death, which her mother believes was partly caused by air pollution. Plus: 15-year-old George Bond explains why he is going on today’s school climate strike

Ella Kissi-Debrah lived 25 metres (82ft) from the heavily polluted South Circular Road in Lewisham, London. She died in February 2013 at the age of nine after three years of seizures and 27 visits to hospital for asthma attacks. Until the end of 2010, Ella had been in good health. An expert last year linked her death to the dangerously high levels of pollution from diesel traffic that breached legal limits.

Anushka Asthana talks to Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, Ella’s mother, about her fight to reopen the inquest so that air pollution can be recognised as a contributing factor to her death. Asthana also talks to Jocelyn Cockburn, the lawyer who represents Kissi-Debrah. Cockburn hopes an inquest will provide a better understanding of whether Ella’s death was avoidable and force the government and other bodies to account for their inaction over air pollution.

Plus: teenager George Bond explains why he won’t be going to school today and is instead joining others across the country in a nationwide school climate strike.

