First WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health: Improving Air Quality, Combatting Climate Change – Saving Lives

The conference will bring together global, national and local partners to share knowledge and mobilize action for cleaner air and better health globally. The conference will update the evidence on the health impacts of air pollution; methods of monitoring pollution and health exposures; and tools for assessing and implementing effective interventions. It will support strong health sector leadership for change, in partnership with other sectors. Cities and countries will be invited to join the BreatheLife campaign and commit to reducing air pollution by 2030 in line with WHO Air Quality Guidelines. Global attainment of the air quality guideline levels indoor and outdoor could prevent millions of deaths every year. Participants will include: ministers of health, ministers of environment and other national government representatives; representatives of intergovernmental agencies, health professionals, other sectors (e.g. transport, energy, etc.), as well as from research, academia and civil society. The conference will also advance collaborations between WHO and sister UN agencies. The first WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health is organized in collaboration with UN Environment, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The first two days of the Conference will present evidence, identify gaps and solutions and will be targeted at practitioners and other technical and political representatives from the health sector and other sectors relevant to the discourse. The third day will be a high-level action day to agree on a concise outcome document that will include a plan of action and an overall goal to reduce the 7 million deaths per year due to air pollution. Please note that interpretation services will be provided during plenary sessions only on days 1 and 2. Interpretation services will be provided all day on day 3