25 March 2025—Ahead of its attendance at the invitation-only WHO Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, taking place on 25-27 March 2025 in Cartagena, Colombia, WHPA has signed a Call to Action demanding a future with clean air for all. The Call was initiated by a consortium of global health actors, including WHPA members ICN and WMA, at the request of WHO, and it is supported by nearly 50 million health professionals, patients, advocates, civil society representatives and members of the public worldwide.
The Call to Action emphasizes that as dedicated and trusted voices, health professionals and other members of the health community are powerful advocates to leverage the health argument for clean air action. The Call demands bold action from governments, the private sector and civil society to clean the air for all by making a fair and just transition to clean energy. It highlights that clean air is not a luxury but a human right and vital for the health and well-being of all, especially the most vulnerable.
The Call also commits the signatories to lead by example. WHPA fully supports its demand to “Champion health and care workers in leadership and decision-making roles to influence air quality policies and initiatives in ways that prioritize patient, public health, and health systems.”
Add your voice: Sign the call here!
WHPA among global leaders convened
WHPA is represented at the Second WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health by Lujain Alqodmani, WMA’s immediate past president. Speaking at a roundtable titled “Advancing Policy Action and Health Leadership to Combat Air Pollution” (24 March 2025, organized by Global Climate and Health Alliance), she emphasized the uniquely valuable input that health professionals can provide to action on air pollution, thanks to their frontline experience of its impacts. She is one of the global leaders convened to develop actionable strategies to integrate air pollution responses into resilient health systems. The leaders focused on the severe health impacts of poor air quality, particularly in vulnerable and underserved populations.
She also represents WHPA at a parallel session, organized by WHO and WMO, on “Heat and wildfires: at the nexus of climate change, air pollution and health”, taking place on 25 March. In a global panel of experts, she highlighted the importance of ensuring that health professionals are included and that their vital input is taken on board in decision making about policy and action on air pollution and health.
Conference to set country commitments to clean air
The conference is expected to produce a series of concrete commitments from countries whose Ministers of Ministers of Health, Environment and Energy are present. Measures may include setting and enforcing stronger air quality standards aligned with the WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines. The conference is also attended by representatives of the energy, transport, industry, waste and land-use sectors, as well as academics and civil society, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of air pollution and the need for many sectors to act together for clean air in a whole-of-society effort.
Read the press release in English