The Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, 30 October – 1 November 2018 was the first-ever global event to focus on both air pollution and health.
Participants included ministers of health and environment and other national and sub-national government representatives; representatives of intergovernmental agencies, health professionals, other sectors (e.g. transport, energy etc.), as well as from research, academia, and civil society.
The conference also advanced collaborations between WHO and sister UN agencies.
Conference documents
Conference aims and outcomes
The conference recognized the need for an aspirational goal of reducing the 7 million deaths a year due to air pollution by 2030, as a contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Countries, mayors, urban leaders, and civil society were invited to make commitments to the global advocacy campaign BreatheLife2030 to meet WHO's Air Quality Guidelines and reduce climate emissions.
The conference underlined the links between air pollution and the global epidemic of NCDs and positioned the health sector to catalyze actions for health-wise policies on sectors such as clean household energy, transport, and waste.
Critical Issues at the conference
- Air quality monitoring
Air quality monitoring in low- and middle-income countries needs to be strengthened, especially in areas close to hospitals, schools, and workplaces. Low-cost sensors and other new technologies can expand air quality monitoring and forecasting to areas that are currently underserved. New protocols and standards are needed to guide the effective use and interpretation of data produced by low-cost sensors in citizen science and other applications. - Health sector emissions
Access to reliable and sustainable energy in healthcare facilities is essential to achieve the goal of universal health coverage. On-site renewable energy generation in healthcare facilities can improve access to healthcare services, especially in rural, developing world settings. In developed countries, hospitals are among the most energy-intensive buildings. By reducing its own carbon footprint, the health sector can show how climate change mitigation produces concrete health benefits. - Equipping national health workforces
National health workforces must be capable of dealing with the immediate impacts of air pollution on the health of populations, and to inform policymakers to undertake preventive action to reduce the air pollution-related disease burden. There are currently few training programmes on air pollution and its health effects, and little related information, in public health education. - Children’s health
Globally, more than 90% of children under 18 live with air pollution levels above WHO guidelines. Air pollution causes over half of all child deaths from acute lower respiratory infection in children under 5 years in lower middle income countries. Air pollution exposure is linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes in children, including infant mortality, asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders, and childhood cancers. By “prescribing” clean air for children, policymakers can protect them from the lifelong effects of air pollution exposure. - Access to clean household energy
Clean household energy access must move higher on the global energy, health and climate agendas. Household air pollution is one of the world’s single biggest environmental health risk, and a significant source of climate-warming pollution. To achieve SDG 7 targets for universal access to modern energy, 3 billion people must gain access to clean cooking solutions, and 1 billion must gain access to electricity, by 2030. The current pace of progress mains too slow. - Climate change
Air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to health of our time, and climate change is the greatest public health threat of the 21st century. Burning fossil fuels is the primary source of both climate-warming emissions and health-damaging air pollution. Reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants can generate immediate benefits for health and slow climate change Actions to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and short-lived climate pollutants are also measures to protect public health now and in the future. - Noncommunicable diseases
Air pollution is the second leading cause of noncommunicable diseases, such as stroke, cancer and heart disease, which are on the rise worldwide. In many countries, such diseases can only be significantly reduced by improving air quality. Mainstreaming air pollution reduction into policies to combat noncommunicable diseases leads to multiple benefits for the environment, economy and health. - Outdoor workers
Outdoor workers, including agricultural, construction or waste collection workers, and traffic police, are particularly vulnerable to ambient air pollution; at least 1.2 billion people work outdoors most of the time. In addition to breathing polluted air, such workers are often exposed to other environmental risks, such as heat and cold, heavy rain, and wind as well as solar UV and allergenic pollens.
The first two days of the conference presented evidence, identified gaps and solutions, and was targeted at practitioners and other technical and political representatives from the health sector and other sectors relevant to the discourse. The third day was a High-Level Action Day which focused on the following objectives: plan of action; health systems engagement; commitments
Conference sessions covered themes such as:
- Science and evidence, including the latest on health effects, forecasting and monitoring, and extreme events
- Methods and tools for informed decisions – estimating health impacts and planning interventions in sectors like transport, energy and waste, as developed by the Urban Health Initiative
- Strategies and solutions being adopted by countries and cities to improve air quality at urban and household level
- Cross-sector collaborations between health, environmental and development sectors to reduce air pollution and mitigate climate change
Partnerships and advocacy with countries and cities, UN partners, development agencies, research, university and civil society.
Parallel session I – Air quality, health effects and link between air pollution and climate change
Parallel session II – Engaging the health sector and other sectors
Parallel session III – Action with health focus
Conference supporters
WHO is grateful to the governments of France, Germany, Monaco, Norway and Switzerland for their financial support to this conference.
WHO would also like to express its gratitude for the financial support provided by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO), the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in addition to the in kind support provided by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)
Additional funding is provided by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the UN Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.
