Ahead of the second WHO global conference on air pollution and health in March 2025, the global health community is making a urgent call to action for clean airurging governments, business leaders and policymakers to act quickly to stop air pollution and save lives. Air pollution is responsible for at least 7 million deaths each year, contributing to a growing global health crisis, with the vast majority of deaths caused by non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular problems, respiratory diseases and lung cancer .
“Air pollution is a silent killer. Globally, air pollution trends remain largely unchanged over the past 10 years, impacting our health with every breath we take,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environmental Protection. environment, climate change and health, from the World Health Organization. “Leaders must make bold commitments, while the health community must continue to advocate to protect our future. Join the call to action – your signature will help drive the change needed to protect public health from the growing threat of air pollution. »
The good news is that air pollution deaths are preventable. Health and care workers, patients, health advocates and civil society organizations are demanding bold and decisive action from world leaders. Clean air is a human right and critical to the health and well-being of everyone.
The global health cost associated with exposure to air pollution is estimated at US$8.1 trillion in 2019. – and middle-income countries, home to the most vulnerable populations.
“Clean breathing is undeniably essential for everyone to live and essential for the right to a healthy environment,” said Astrid Puentes Riaño, UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment. “Therefore, governments and businesses must take urgent pending measures to implement effective measures to ensure it.”
It is time to tackle this crisis. Investing in cleaner air is not only a moral health imperative, but also a sound economic strategy to reduce health care costs, boost productivity, and spur sustainable development while mitigating climate change. This call to action demands key actions from world leaders and stakeholders to protect public health and ensure clean air for all:
- Apply robust measures: Governments must enforce strict air quality standards, reduce emissions at source and align with global air quality guidelines.
- Commit to a Just Clean Energy Transition: Governments and businesses must move away from fossil fuels fairly and equitably, ensuring the clean energy transition is inclusive and accessible to all.
- Strengthen capacity: improve monitoring systems and institutional capacity to effectively address air quality challenges.
- Increase funding: Increase domestic and international funding to elevate clean air as a priority on global and national agendas.
- Build cross-sector collaboration: Create and support cross-disciplinary and multi-sector workforce development, awareness and training initiatives that enable communities and stakeholders to address air pollution effectively.
The health community will continue to advocate for these urgent measures, emphasizing that clean air is not a luxury but a necessity for public health and well-being. The time to act is now, and we can no longer afford to wait.
Which is the second global conference on air pollution and healthtaking place in Cartagena, Colombia, March 25-27, 2025, will bring together world leaders, experts and advocates to discuss and advance solutions to the air pollution crisis. Policymakers in countries, cities, the private sector and donors must take bold and immediate action to ensure clean air for all. The conference presents a key opportunity for governments and other stakeholders to engage in transformative actions that will protect public health and the environment for generations to come.