“Future generations stand to suffer from our failure to act on the climate to protect human health.”
Sept. 7, 2024: “Clean air is a basic human right. Yet, shockingly, over 90% of the people in the world breathe polluted air, contributing each year to millions of deaths and countless illnesses including asthma, lung and heart disease, and stunted growth in children. Air pollution was the second largest risk factor for deaths in 2021.
“Future generations will suffer from our failure to act on the climate now to protect human health. We must prioritize efforts to improve air quality and save lives.
“We have proven solutions to mitigate air pollution, including encouraging the use of clean household energy, monitoring and enforcing strict emission standards for vehicles, and curbing industrial emissions. What we need is the sustained political will and funding to scale and strengthen more robust, effective and efficient clean air action. Developing and implementing innovative clean air solutions is also crucial, and will require greater investment.
“It’s our responsibility to act now to protect the future of our planet and people. As we observe the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, Vital Strategies urges the global community to increase investments at all levels to support efforts for cleaner air for current and future generations. Invest in #CleanAirNow.”
Sumi Mehta, Vice President, Environmental, Climate and Urban Health, Vital Strategies, has worked at the intersection of global health and sustainable development for over two decades, with a focus on child health and noncommunicable disease. She has expertise in epidemiology, exposure assessment, comparative risk assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis. Dr. Mehta has extensive field experience in South and Southeast Asia, and has also worked in Africa, East Asia and Latin America. She is currently Vice President, Environmental and Climate Health at Vital Strategies, a global health organization that partners with governments to rapidly design and implement public health initiatives that bridge the gap between public health needs and solutions, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
About Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies believes every person should be protected by an equitable and effective public health system. We partner with governments, communities and organizations around the world to reimagine public health so that health is supported in all the places we live, work and play. The result is millions of people living longer, healthier lives.
To find out more, please visit vitalstrategies.org or follow us on LinkedIn.