By Abdullahi Lukman
The World Health Organization (WHO) is spearheading a global call to action, with over 47 million signatures from health professionals, patients, and advocates, demanding immediate steps to reduce air pollution and protect public health.
This unprecedented mobilization comes ahead of the Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, set for March 25-27, 2025, in Cartagena, Colombia.
Air pollution, a leading environmental threat, contributes to approximately 7 million deaths annually, primarily from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
The WHO-led initiative urges governments to adopt stricter air quality standards, transition to cleaner energy sources, and drastically reduce emissions.
“Forty-seven million people from the health community have issued a clarion call for urgent, bold, science-driven action on air pollution, and their voices must be heard,” stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
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He emphasized the WHO’s support for countries implementing evidence-based tools to combat air pollution and called for concrete commitments at the Cartagena conference.
The conference, hosted by the WHO and the Government of Colombia, will gather political leaders, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and academics to drive a global clean air agenda.
Key issues addressed include the exposure of 2.1 billion people to dangerous household air pollution, the link between air pollution and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which claim 41 million lives annually, and the diverse sources of pollution, from industrial emissions to natural events.
The WHO, in collaboration with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), recently updated its 2025 Air Quality Standards database, encompassing approximately 140 countries, to aid in these efforts. Countries are expected to align their standards with the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines.
Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director for Environment, Climate Change and Health, stressed that “clean air is not a privilege; it is a human right,” and called for a rapid transition to renewable energy, sustainable transport, and clean cooking solutions.
The WHO emphasizes that commitments made at the Cartagena conference and the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs are crucial for a healthier, more sustainable future, urging immediate and widespread action to ensure clean air for all.
