In an unprecedented show of unity, more than 47 million health professionals, patients, advocates, representatives from civil society organisations, and individuals worldwide have signed a resounding call for urgent action to reduce air pollution and protect people’s health from its devastating impacts.
This global call to action, spearheaded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and international health organisations, will be presented at the Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Cartagena, Colombia, next week.
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health and a major contributor to climate change. Around 7 million people die from air pollution each year, mainly from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom, in a release, said: *“Forty-seven million people from the health community have issued a clarion call for urgent, bold, science-driven action on air pollution, and their voices must be heard.
“Around the world, WHO is supporting countries to implement evidence-based tools to address air pollution and prevent the disease it causes. At the second WHO Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Cartagena, we hope to see concrete commitments from countries to implement those tools and save lives.”*
Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Environment, Climate Change and Health, stated that, while the challenge is immense, progress is possible. Many cities and countries have significantly improved air quality by enforcing stricter pollution limits.
Neira added: “Clean air is not a privilege; it is a human right as recognised by the UN General Assembly. We need to work together urgently to scale up transitioning from coal-fired power to renewable energy, expanding public and sustainable transport, establishing low-emission zones in cities, and promoting clean energy for cooking and solar power in healthcare facilities.”
Hosted by WHO and the Government of Colombia, the conference will bring together political leaders, representatives from civil society organisations, UN agencies, and academia to drive a global clean air agenda promising benefits for public health, climate change response, and sustainable development, both globally and locally.
Recognising the heavy toll of air pollution, the health community is calling on governments to take immediate and ambitious steps to reduce emissions, enforce stricter air quality standards, and transition to cleaner energy sources, unlocking multiple benefits for the health of people and the planet.
The topic will also be a focus ahead of the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), where world leaders will be called upon to take stronger action.
At the conference, countries are expected to commit to concrete measures, including setting and enforcing stronger air quality standards aligned with the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines. Last month, WHO, in collaboration with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), unveiled the updated 2025 Air Quality Standards database, which now includes data from approximately 140 countries. This showcases their air pollution regulatory efforts aimed at protecting public health.
Air pollution in both cities and rural areas generates fine particulate matter, which results in NCDs such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as acute conditions such as pneumonia.
Sources of air pollution are varied and context-specific. The major sources include polluting energy sources used in homes, energy production, industrial emissions, transport, agriculture, waste, as well as natural sources such as desert dust storms or wildfires.
Around 2.1 billion people are exposed to dangerous levels of household air pollution due to the use of polluting open fires or stoves for cooking.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are among the leading causes of death, with many linked to air pollution exposure. The global NCD epidemic claims 41 million lives annually. Addressing air pollution is a key strategy in reducing the burden of NCDs and improving global health.
Improving air quality by implementing well-known and available solutions will prevent premature deaths, improve health, drive sustainable economic development, and mitigate climate change.
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