Whilst the air we breathe has immediate effects on our health, the quality and control of the air depend on many factors, sometimes unknown to patients because too technical. We thank in advance the European Respiratory Society for organising a Masterclass on Air Pollution last 7th December.
During that day, Roberta Savli got the latest scientific insights and rationale that could shape future measures tackling air quality. The masterclass was divided in four sessions that mirrored the variety of the EU current legislation controlling air quality levels. Participants navigated from the well-known public health problems on transport emissions, to the trouble created by other sources of air pollution such as agriculture, farming or energy production. All of them affect our respiratory health and can be considered responsible for a certain burden of disease.
In 2017, EFA has been calling for the inclusion of indoor air quality monitoring and levels within buildings (energy performance of buildings directive), as well as giving insight to the EU Urban Agenda Air Quality Partnership (looking at this problem in urban areas). In the latest years, EFA has been active on the revision of the National Emission Ceilings directive (focused on industrial emissions), and the phasing-out of coal (together with the Health and Environment Alliance).
Air pollution is the largest health inequality in Europe, according to the recently published Lancet report. Pollution in the air, water, soil and in the workplace is linked to an estimated nine million deaths each year worldwide – equivalent to one in six (16%) of all deaths, according to this medical journal. In the EU alone, pollution causes more than 400,000 deaths which represents 7.8% of all deaths. Most of these deaths are due to non-communicable diseases caused by pollution such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Check why Air pollution is important for asthma, allergy and COPD patients: http://www.efanet.org/air-quality