SI Expo Fireside Chat 1: Air Pollution and Health: PM2.5 and Air-Q+ Estimation of Health End Points, A Review and Analysis from Two Urban Cities of Pakistan
- Increased funding and support are essential for advancing research and developing innovative tools to mitigate air pollution effects.
- Expand ground-level air quality monitors in urban and rural areas, prioritising locations with historically poor AQI. This will improve real-time monitoring and data-driven interventions.
- Enable access to public and private healthcare registries for better projection modeling and to inform cross-sector initiatives addressing air pollution health impacts.
- Environmental departments should develop air pollution apportionment data, clarifying each sector’s contribution to pollution to support targeted regulatory actions.
- The Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC), Government of Pakistan, should enforce the National Clean Air Plan, reviewing and aligning Provincial Air Quality Standards and National Environmental Quality Standards to meet WHO PM2.5 guidelines.
- Foster cooperation between environmental and health sectors, such as the EPA and healthcare facilities, to establish centralised data-sharing mechanisms that track air quality impacts on health.
- Prioritise epidemiological studies on household air pollution, especially its impact on women and children, to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
- Launch widespread educational campaigns on the health risks of air pollution (particularly PM2.5 and indoor pollution) to encourage preventive behaviours and public engagement.
