Air pollution is an important determinant of health. WHO estimates that in 2012 around 1 in 8 deaths were attributed to exposure to air pollution, making it the largest environmental risk factor for ill health.
WHO is leading a collaborative effort with other international and national organizations to strengthen the capacity of the health and other sectors to develop, implement and monitor air pollution abatement strategies that protect health with the establishment of a Global Platform on Air Quality and Health.
The aim of the Global Platform is to systematically consolidate data on air quality and health by bringing together information on air pollution exposure from different sources such as air quality monitoring networks, atmospheric modelling and satellite remote sensing. This data can be used to make global assessments of air pollution and its associated disease burden, as well as demonstrate any improvements in air quality and health achieved by the implementation of effective air pollution reduction strategies and policies.
WHO has convened two expert consultations for the Global Platform, the first took place on 30 to 31 January 2014, and 18 to 20 August 2015. The final reports of these consultations (to be released soon) will summarize the goals and objectives of the Platform, as well as the commitments of different Platform partners.