Global Health Visions’ Post

Less than 1/3 of countries we surveyed for a report with UN Environment Programme and Global Health Visions have implemented #AirQuality monitoring networks or management strategies. Low-cost sensors can provide a general indicator of air quality levels where countries lack technical capacity and funding to implement more comprehensive systems, argues this blog from UNDP Global Centre, Singapore✍️ https://bit.ly/3T08kRM

As Eskom's coal-burning continues to pose severe air pollution risks in South Africa, the private sector is taking action to improve indoor air quality for its employees. Recent projections suggest Eskom's emissions could lead to thousands of air pollution-related deaths and numerous health issues. Swiss technology company IQAir's 2022 World Air Quality report highlights South Africa's poor PM2.5 air pollutant levels, nearly five times higher than the World Health Organization's guidelines. In response, businesses are adopting air purification technologies like photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) and Ultraviolet-C radiation (UVC) to reduce airborne diseases and enhance indoor air quality. These technologies offer health benefits, boost productivity, and can yield measurable returns on investment for building managers. https://lnkd.in/drcfQzRW #AirQuality #HealthierWorkplaces #CleanAir #ProductivityBoost #HealthAtWork #WellnessAtWork

EU-India Joint Technical Meeting on Air Quality Management in Cities under EU- Air Quality Management Initiative in India Project. Organized by IIT Tirupati This technical meeting facilitated knowledge exchange on air quality management between Indian and European stakeholders. The discussions highlighted successful interventions in European cities and the challenges faced by Indian agencies. Sharing best practices in areas like low emission zones, vehicle retrofitting, and regional planning can inform Indian strategies. The meeting emphasized collaboration among various agencies, public involvement, and data quality for effective air quality management in Indian cities. European Commission AQI MoEF&CC Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) #NCAP Clean Air Fund Open Philanthropy Bloomberg Philanthropies #Lowemissionszones #LEZs #CAZ #airquality #collaboration #EU-India #climatechange #environment #health #equity #sustainability COP29 Azerbaijan #airpollution Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Indian Institute of Technology, Tirupati Clean Air Task Force

Unbelievably, only seven countries meet World Health Organisation air quality standards: Estonia, Finland, Australia, Mauritius, Grenada, Iceland and New Zealand, according to new research last week by Swiss air quality firm IQAir: First in Air Quality. 🌬 Poor air quality harms everything from our respiratory system to our brain function and is the single biggest reason that we at Ekkist recommend filtered mechanical ventilation on most of our projects. 🏡 🏢 🏫 Last month, the EU made new rules to cut the the yearly limits for fine particulates (PM2.5) – which wreak havoc on the whole body because they are small enough to slip into the bloodstream – from 25 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³, and for nitrogen dioxide, a gas that damages our lungs, from 40 µg/m³ to 20 µg/m³. However, these new 2030 targets are still DOUBLE the guideline levels set by the World Health Organisation. 👀 🤯 A bit of wake up a call and key consideration for every developer working in all urban (and many rural) regions of the UK/Europe! The good news is that there are strategies we can put in place to make things better at either building or masterplan level (and pollution capture technologies are evolving all the time) - drop me a line if you want to know about more solutions! 📲 https://lnkd.in/ehJxBgpF

Recent findings by IQAir reveal that only seven out of 134 countries surveyed meet the World Health Organization's air quality standards. Only Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand adhere to WHO guidelines, effectively managing PM2.5 pollutants (particulate matter) PM 2,5 is 400 times smaller than a millimeter. These particles are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. They pass through the respiratory tract directly to the lungs and into the bloodstream. Particulate matter enters homes mostly through open windows. Airobot devices are fitted with PM 2,5 sensors that monitor the levels in your home. So when these levels are exceeded you know when to take action! https://lnkd.in/dE6CSe69

The seventh Breathe-In Dialogue was held on 03 July 2024 on the topic ‘Certifications and Ratings for Indoor Air Quality’ as part of Cleaner Air and Better Health (CABH) project supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The dialogue hosted Stanton Wong from @RESET® and Dimpy Daroch from @UL Solutions. Stanton explained how building certifications play a crucial role in promoting good indoor air quality, energy efficiency, occupant comfort and well-being. He highlighted RESET®’s contribution in IAQ data collection, aggregation, and analysis. Stanton also shared stories on how involvement of facilities helped buildings achieve RESET Air certification. Dimpy shared valuable insights about the Verified Healthy Building (VHB) Mark, its relevance, and the verification process. She explained how the VHB program aligns with global standards and intersects with other certification systems like WELL, FITWEL, and GRESB. Additionally, Dimpy presented case studies as well as findings from performance testing that revealed the importance of careful material selection.” The webinar recording can be accessed at: https://lnkd.in/g5Q4a8MQ CABH project aims to strengthen air pollution mitigation and reduce exposure to air pollution in India by establishing evidence-based models for better air quality management. #BreatheIn #IndoorAirQuality #CleanerAirAndBetterHealth #Sustainability #CleanAir #EnergyEfficiency #Innovation #Healthybuildings USAID India Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) Asar ENVIRO LEGAL DEFENCE FIRM Vital Strategies Society for Indoor Environment(SIE) Sonia D. Henam Soumitri Das Om Prakash Singh Priyanka Kulshreshtha (Ph.D) Dr. Radha Goyal tanmay tathagat, Anamika Prasad Gurneet Singh, Nidhi Gupta Deepanjali Wadkar Lakshmy N

Air pollution is a global problem. IQAir: First in Air Quality found that 92.5% of the 7,812 locations in 134 countries, regions, and territories where it analyzed average air quality last year exceeded WHO’s PM2.5 guidelines. One bright spot is increasing pressure and civic engagement from communities, NGOs, companies, and scientists to monitor air quality. This is why I am so proud that IQAir: First in Air Quality is one of our many sponsors at #ASIC2024.

🌍🚦 Europe’s Air Quality Status 2024 🌬️🫁 https://lnkd.in/dtAd9AtQ Air pollution remains the largest environmental health risk in Europe, causing serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, reducing quality of life, and leading to preventable deaths. Despite ongoing improvements, 96% of the EU’s urban population still faces unsafe levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Key messages: 1️⃣ Overall air quality is improving, but EU standards are still unmet across Europe. 2️⃣ 96% of the EU’s urban population is exposed to dangerous PM2.5 levels. 3️⃣ New, more ambitious EU air quality standards are set to be introduced by 2030. At URBANOME, we are committed to addressing these challenges. Our 4-year H2020 project focuses on the intersections of climate, environment, health, and wellbeing in urban settings. We aim to build a comprehensive EU framework to evaluate multi-sector policies, supporting the WHO’s “Health in all Policies” approach. Join us in our mission to create healthier urban environments for all! 🌿🏙️ #AirQuality #Health #URBANOME #EU #EnvironmentalHealth #UrbanWellbeing #SustainableCities

What have two decades of air pollution health risk assessments given us? Our latest article provides insights from the use of World Health Organization’s AirQ and AirQ+ Tools. "We identified 286 studies that met our criteria. The studies were conducted in 69 countries, with most (57%) in Iran, followed by Italy and India (∼8% each). We found that many studies inadequately report air pollution exposure data, its quality, and validity. The decisions concerning the analysed population size, health outcomes of interest, baseline incidence, concentration-response functions, relative risk values, and counterfactual values are often not justified, sufficiently. Many studies lack an uncertainty assessment." Thanks to co-authors for the collaboration: Heresh Amini, Fatemeh Yousefian, Sasan Faridi, Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, Ellénore Calas, Alberto Castro, Karla Rosío Cervantes Martínez, magali corso, Nataša Dragić, Dimitris Evangelopoulos, Christian Gapp, Ingu K., Le Tertre Alain, Sylvia Medina, Weeberb Réquia, Horacio Riojas Rodríguez, David Rojas Rueda, evangelia samoli, José Luis Texcalac Sangrador, Maayan Yitshak-Sade, Joel Schwartz, Nino Kuenzli, Joseph V. Spadaro, Michal Krzyzanowski & Pierpaolo Mudu. #AirQ+ #AirPollution #Health #RiskAssessment c/o Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+)

Vietnam urged to invest in greener energy sources to improve air quality Professor Bob Baulch from The Business School at RMIT Vietnam said that if not curbed, Vietnam’s air quality could be catastrophic. The latest World Air Quality Index Report, which provides information on air quality in 131 countries and 7,323 cities in the world updated to 2022, raises serious concerns about rising air pollution in Vietnam and especially in its capital city, Hanoi. Overall, based on the concentration of small particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air, Vietnam now ranks as the 30th most polluted country in the world, just below Lao PDR, and four and five positions below Indonesia and China, respectively. In 2022, Vietnam’s air quality exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recommended safe levels by between five and seven times. Furthermore, with an air quality index of 40.1, Hanoi’s air quality is seven to ten times higher than the WHO’s guidelines. Worldwide poor-quality air is estimated to account for six million deaths and 93 billion days of lives with illness each year. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gGHA8TTX #EMTEK #EMTEKAutomation #EMTEKConstructions #SEE #ANE #Constructions #technology #constructionindustry #MEP #Constructor