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Call to action from the health community
Stop polluting the air we breathe – prevent diseases and save lives
The science is as clear as our skies should be
The time to act is now
Air pollution is affecting the health of billions of people across the globe. It is responsible for the deaths of at least 7 million people globally every year, with the vast majority due to noncommunicable (chronic) diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer.
The good news
These deaths are preventable.
The upcoming WHO’s Second Global conference on air pollution and health taking place in Cartagena, Colombia, in March 2025, represents a unique opportunity for governments, leaders and other decision-makers to commit to bold and decisive clean air actions to save lives.
Clean air is not a luxury; it is a human right and vital for the health and well-being of all, especially the most vulnerable.
The cost of inaction is too high
The use of fossil fuels – accounting for 80% of the world’s energy mix in 2023 – is driving air pollution and climate change. This figure dramatically calls for a transition to cleaner energy on a global scale.
The world is paying an US$ 8.1 trillion as a price tag annually to the health impacts of air pollution. Yet, less than 1% of global development aid is invested to improve air quality in low- and middle-income countries, home to the people most at risk. The economic benefits of reducing air pollution far outweigh the costs. We need governments and businesses to commit now.
Our health is at stake
Breathing polluted air damages every organ in our body – not just our lungs, but the heart, circulation, kidneys, livers, eyes, bones, and many more. Air pollution impairs thinking, behavioural development in children and contributes to dementia in older people.
Pregnant women face higher risks of complications like stillbirth and miscarriage. Babies are more likely to be born early or small, increasing their chances of becoming sick later in life.
Furthermore, exposure to air pollutants tends to be greater in poorer regions, often in places where access to health care is already limited.
Join the health community’s call for clean air
As the health community, we witness the consequences of air pollution first hand. As health and care workers, patients, or parents of affected children, we see the damage that toxic air is inflicting on people’s health, drastically diminishing our prospects for a long and healthy life now and in the future.
We cannot afford to wait any longer.
Clean air is essential for everyone to live, and essential for the right to a healthy environment. Governments and businesses need to take urgent action to implement effective measures to make clean air a reality for everyone.
Health and care workers, patients’ groups, members of civil society organizations and individuals support WHO in calling on world leaders and decision-makers to stop pollution and ensure a future with clean air for all.
We call for bold action from governments, leaders and other decision-makers, donors and the private sector to clean the air for all. In their respective roles, they should commit without delay to:
- enforce robust measures to stop polluting the air, cutting emissions at source, and swiftly achieve the full implementation of WHO global air quality guidelines;
- ensure a just and inclusive clean energy transition and fossil fuel phase out in a fair and equitable manner;
- strengthen actions for clean air, better monitoring and surveillance, and institutional capacity to limit air pollution and mitigate climate change;
- increase domestic and international funding to elevate clean air as a priority on global and national health and political agendas; and
- build intersectoral workforces with the skills and capacity to design and implement policies to tackle air pollution, focusing on continuous awareness raising, training, research, and sharing best public health practices, especially in the most affected countries.
We commit to leading by example by:
- raising awareness about the health effects of air pollution and its links to climate change among all actors in the public health workforce, patients, and the general public, along with effective measures to reduce emissions and exposure;
- integrating air pollution into health curricula, training programmes, continuing education programmes, and professional practice and guidelines;
- championing health and care workers in leadership and decision-making roles to influence air quality policies and initiatives in ways that prioritize patient, public health, and health systems;
- reducing the environmental footprint of health systems while enhancing the quality and accessibility of care;
- and building collaborations across health and non-health organizations to support action for clean air.
As dedicated and trusted voices, health and care workers and members of the health community are powerful advocates to leverage the health argument for clean air action.
We urge you to unite in this call to action to stop polluting the air we breathe and ensure a healthy future for both people and our planet.
Join us in making a difference today, participate in clean air initiatives, and share this call to action with your network to amplify the message.
ADD YOUR VOICE TODAY!
47,868,466 voices of individuals and representatives of organizations until 17 March 2025*
- The World Medical Association, with a membership of 9 million physicians
- World Health Professions Alliance representing more than 30 million health professionals
- Global Climate and Health Alliance and Health and Environment Alliance representing millions of voices within the health community
- Thousands of health professionals, concerned parents, advocates and leaders worldwide who have signed the call to action for clean air
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