The Joint Task Force on the Health Aspects of Air Pollution was established in 1997 within the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution to assess the health effects of such pollution and to provide supporting documentation. WHO’s European Centre for Environment and Health chairs the Task Force, which is composed by experts designated by countries that are parties to the Convention.

The Task Force on Health works to quantify how long-range transboundary air pollution affects human health, and helps define priorities to guide future monitoring and abatement strategies. It also advises on monitoring and modelling activities to improve the quality of assessments.

The activities of the Task Force are based on estimates of air pollution concentrations (particularly those derived by the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe), and on the results of hazard assessment carried out by WHO (for example, as part of revising its air quality guidelines).

The Task Force on Health mobilizes the health and environment sectors to work together with UNECE, Member State representatives, the European Commission, civil society and academia, playing an important role in tackling air pollution to protect human health.

Task Force members, National focal points on air quality and health and invited experts and stakeholders to the Task Force meet annually to discuss and develop advice for the Convention related to:

• national and international policies and processes on air quality and health;
• review of the progress in research on health impacts of air pollution;
• the development and use of tools to quantify the health impacts of air pollution;
• country experiences;
• communication and public health messages for air pollution;
• ongoing activities and workplans of the Task Force.

The Convention and its achievements

Air pollution and health