CLAHRC researcher Professor Jonathan Grigg is among leading doctors, public health professionals and organizations launching a new global advocacy group to mobilize clinicians and public health professionals to advocate for clean air policies.
Inspire: Health Advocates for Clean Air (www.inspirecleanair.org) was launched in The Hague last week
Professor of Paediatric Respiratory and Environmental Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, Jonathan (below) is a leading UK paediatrician in the effects of air pollution. He is a founder member of the new interbational coalition, following his involvement in the UK based Doctors against Diesel initiative.
According to the new group nine in ten people breathe polluted air, making it the world’s leading environmental cause of death and disease. Inspire aims to bring air pollution to the forefront of health and climate agendas.
It will offer a framework to push governments to address the root causes of air pollution and advocate for clean air policies and it aligns WHO’s road map for global action, including:
- Improve awareness in the global health community about air pollution and its health effects
- Increase involvement of clinicians and clinical organizations in advocacy for clean air policies
- Establish a global network of informed health-oriented champions
- Grow public awareness of the dangers of air pollution
- Exert political pressure on governments to encourage aggressive clean air policies
Visit www.inspirecleanair.org, where you can also join the coalition. #InspireCleanAir
