In February we were invited to a close round table organised by the World Health Organisation European division in Bonn on the “Software AirQ+ for the assessment of the health risks of air pollution: utilization, communication of results, and potential improvements”. Daniela Morghenti EFA EU Policy Adviser presented on how WHO could use the AIRQ+ software to improve allergy, asthma and COPD patients’ air pollution information and quality of life.
In her presentation, Daniela suggested to couple the AirQ+ system with real-time data gathering systems, immediate communication to enable preventative self-management channels and plans to ensure the readiness of the healthcare systems at national level, in the event of air pollution peaks.
We also conveyed the importance of having health risk assessments based on the total exposure approach, which should evaluate not only outdoor but also indoor air quality effects, extending also the evaluation of health hazards to other (possible) hazards such as chemical contaminants, dust, and pollen.
The WHO meeting was an opportunity for us to present the definition of indoor air quality developed by EFA Working Group on Environmental Determinants, that proposes a holistic approach composed of comprehensive factors to measure air quality.
Please find the full presentation here.
To know more about our work on health effects please visit our air quality section.