Report EB156/24 submitted by the WHO Executive Board contains an updated plan to respond to the adverse health effects of air pollution. This plan builds on the previous plan and proposes a voluntary target to reduce the impact of air pollution on health between 2025 and 2030.

Key points of the plan:

• Goal: Achieve a 50% reduction in the proportion of mortality attributed to anthropogenic air pollution by 2040 compared to 2015 baseline values.
• Timeframe: All highlighted actions should be initiated immediately and integrated into policy and programmatic decision-making processes by 2030. Progress towards this goal should be reviewed and updated in 2030 to align with new global development agreements and climate goals.
• Collective action: Air pollution requires cooperation between countries, cities and regions.
• Connectivity: Air quality is linked to other environmental health risks, such as climate change, noise and toxic chemicals. Air pollution is a major environmental health risk factor that affects the human body and increases the risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
• Protection of vulnerable groups: Reducing air pollution is important for protecting the health of vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, infants and children.
• Global Development Program: Actions on air quality and health contribute to the global development agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The role of healthcare: The health sector should play a leading role in addressing the health risks associated with air pollution, providing evidence for policymaking, monitoring health risks and advising patients and communities.
• Intersectoral cooperation: Effective cooperation between the health sector and other sectors (environment, energy, transport, waste management, land use, agriculture) and stakeholders is important.

Four plan categories:

• Knowledge and evidence: Building, synthesizing, and disseminating evidence on the health impacts of air pollution.
• Measuring progress: Improving systems and processes to support monitoring and reporting on the health impacts of air pollution.
• Strengthening institutional capacities: Building health sector capacity to understand and influence policy and decision-making processes related to air pollution and health.
• Global leadership and coordination: Leveraging health leadership and coordinated action to ensure an adequate response to public health risks from air pollution.

Support to the WHO Secretariat:

The WHO Secretariat supports the implementation of the plan by providing guidance, monitoring air quality and health, strengthening strategic engagement and knowledge sharing, convening stakeholders, and strengthening communication efforts.

Executive Board Action:

The Executive Board is invited to take note of the report and adopt the draft decision. Spring

Glossary of key terms

• Anthropogenic sources: Sources of air pollution originating from human activities, such as industrial processes, transportation, and the burning of fossil fuels.
• Population-attributable fraction: The proportion of cases of disease or death in a population that are caused by a given risk factor (e.g. air pollution).
• NCDs (Non-communicable diseases): Chronic diseases that are not communicable, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes.
• SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals): A set of 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• WHO (World Health Organization): Specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international health.
• Air Quality Guidelines: Recommendations set by WHO for concentrations of key air pollutants that are intended to protect public health.
• Health Impact Assessment: A systematic process for assessing the potential health impacts of a proposed policy, program, or project.
• One Health: An approach that recognizes that human health is interconnected with the health of animals and the environment.
• Primary Health Care: Basic health care that is widely available to individuals and communities.
• BreatheLife campaign: A global campaign led by WHO and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to raise awareness about the health impacts of air pollution and promote cleaner air.