Clean Air, Healthy Lives

The report argues that air pollution is a critical global health threat, causing 7 million premature deaths annually, and advocates for a strategic, integrated approach within health systems. It outlines a pathway involving Health Impact Assessments (HIA), health infrastructure assessments, capacity building for professionals, and cross-sectoral collaboration. Through case studies from India, the UK, Singapore, the Philippines, and South Africa, it demonstrates how data-driven tools like WHO's AirQ+, solarization of clinics, and community-led legal action can mitigate health burdens and drive systemic policy change.

• Air pollution is the second leading risk factor for global mortality, causing 7 million premature deaths annually, with nearly 90% of 2021 deaths attributed to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In children under five, it causes approximately 700,000 deaths per year.
• The global economic burden of health damages from air pollution is estimated at $8.1 trillion annually, which represents 6.1% of global GDP.
• Health Impact Assessments (HIA) using tools like WHO's AirQ+ software allow governments to quantify the health and economic burden of pollution. In Trinidad and Tobago, this analysis revealed over 600 deaths among individuals aged 30 and above in 2019 were directly attributable to air pollution.
• Comprehensive health system assessments can identify infrastructure gaps and operational pollutants. In Chhattisgarh, India, the state solarised over 1,400 health centers to replace diesel generators, which reduced local PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides and resulted in cost savings for 90% of the solar-powered primary health centers (PHCs).
• Integrating air quality data into clinical workflows enables personalized care. Great Ormond Street Hospital in the UK displays annual average air pollution estimates for patients' home postcodes within their Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to inform families of health risks.
• India's National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has established a nationwide Air Pollution related Respiratory Illness (ARI) Sentinel Surveillance Program, expanding from four hospitals in New Delhi in 2017 to over 175 sentinel hospitals across 31 states.
• Frontline health workers, such as India's Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), are critical for grassroots awareness. Training for over 930,000 ASHAs helps them educate communities on preventing tobacco smoke exposure and promoting cleaner cooking fuels.
• Regional and transboundary collaboration is essential for haze management. The ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP), adopted in 2002, and the Second Haze-Free Roadmap 2023–2030 coordinate monitoring and response across member states.
• The Philippines utilizes a health-led, multi-stakeholder approach through the Inter-Agency Committee on Environmental Health (IACEH) and the National Environmental Health Action Plan (NEHAP) to ensure public health outcomes are the primary metric for air pollution policies.
• Community-led legal action can force government accountability. In South Africa's 'Deadly Air' case, the High Court ruled in March 2022 that poor air quality in the Mpumalanga Highveld region breached residents' constitutional right to a healthy environment.

APA

Narayan, S. (2025). Clean Air, Healthy Lives. Global Climate and Health Alliance. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Clean-Air-Healthy-Life-Report-1.pdf

Chicago

Narayan, Shweta. Clean Air, Healthy Lives. Global Climate and Health Alliance, 2025. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Clean-Air-Healthy-Life-Report-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Narayan |first1=Shweta |title=Clean Air, Healthy Lives |publisher=Global Climate and Health Alliance |date=March 2025 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Clean-Air-Healthy-Life-Report-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{narayan2025clean, author = {Narayan, Shweta}, title = {{Clean Air, Healthy Lives}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Clean-Air-Healthy-Life-Report-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }