Asthma UK report cites action needed to address the invisible threat of air pollution
Published: 18th Feb 2021
A report by Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation has cited the dangers of air pollution and steps that need to be taken to tackle it.
The new report examines the unfair ways air pollution is affecting the most disadvantaged communities and the impact it is having on the health of people, with research showing one quarter of UK care homes; one third of schools and colleges and 3,000 medical centres are all located in areas where fine particulate matter is above levels recommended by the World Health Organisation.
The report sets out new analysis showing people who are the most susceptible are being exposed in the places they should feel most safe and call for politicians to immediately commit to air pollution health protection plans and stronger clean air laws before it’s too late.
It also sets out five clean air priorities, requesting all politicians to set out life-saving clean air plans by ensuring they:
- Are driven by new senior cross-departmental air quality ministers.
- Scale up and improve public health information on air pollution, including new toxic air alert systems, public health campaigns and training for health professionals.
- Deliver safer air around care homes, schools, GPs and hospitals through schemes to reduce toxic traffic emissions and encourage behaviour change.
- Fund inclusive walking and cycling policies that enable everyone to be part of the solution to toxic air, such as e-bikes and segregated cycle lanes.
- Are underpinned by ambitious health targets that seek to safeguard those most at-risk, create a fairer society and are set out in law.