Webinar: New opportunities for air pollution and health education

Join the WHO Air Quality, Energy and Health Unit for a groundbreaking webinar “New opportunities for air pollution and health education: launching an OpenWHO online course for health workers” to be held on 5 September 2023 at 1-2:15pm (CEST).

In a landmark collaboration with over 30 international experts, WHO has developed the first WHO Air Pollution and Health Training toolkit specifically tailored for health workers (APHT) to be unveiled at the end of 2023. The toolkit includes downloadable and interactive training resources to inform and empower health care professionals. In anticipation of the toolkit’s launch, a readily accessible OpenWHO online training will be released at the margins of the 2023 UN International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.

The webinar aims to:

Click here to access the background document

This webinar session will be recorded.

Opening and welcoming remarks (video message)Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHOMs Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, The Ella Roberta Foundation

Facilitator: Dr Mohamed Eissa, Liaison Officer for Public Health, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA)

Discussants:

CLEAN-Air(Africa), Health Systems Strengthening Lead (tbc)Dr Mark Hayden, Greet Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), London, the United KingdomDr Enrique Falceto de Barros, World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), BrazilMr Elvis Ndikum Achiri, Co-Founder and President at Global Youth Strategy (GYS) on Air Pollution and Climate Health, Cameroon

Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHODr. Maria Neira is since 2005, Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organization (WHO). Prior to WHO, she was Vice Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs in Spain, President of the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency and she obtained extensive field experience in Africa as a Public Health Adviser.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-DebrahRosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah is the founder, director, and trustee of the Ella Roberta Foundation. She is one of the most prominent advocates for clean air worldwide and in the air pollution debate. Her work followed the death of her 9-year-old daughter, Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, whose death was eventually attributed to excessive air pollution from London's South Circular Road.Her work frequently involves lobbying politicians, as well as medical professionals, for more education and stronger legislation when it comes to air pollution.

Mohamed EissaMohamed Eissa is a medical doctor, graduated at the Alexandria University in Egypt. He serves as Liaison Officer for Public Health Issues at the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and as Climate Change Youth Associate at the WHO Country Office Egypt.

Mark Hayden is a pediatrician at the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for children in London. He champions advocacy action to address air pollution and climate change. As part of Rides for Their Lives movement he organized a ride to COP26 in Glasgow with fellow health workers, and he has spoken out on the harm caused by poor air quality and the urgent need to reduce road danger to cycle users and pedestrians. He also contributes to the GOSH Clean Air Hospital Framework to improve air quality in and around the hospital as well as health workers education on this topic.

Enrique de Barros is a Family Doctor in a rural community in Brazil. He is a Professor at the Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Past-Chair of the Working Party on the Environment of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) and a member of the planetary health group at Instituto de Estudos Avançados at the Universidade de São Paulo. He coordinated The Lancet Countdown on Climate Change and Health Policy Briefs for Brazil in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Elvis Ndikum is a global clean air expert and advocate based in Yaounde, Cameroon. Currently member of the World Heart Federation’s Air Pollution and Climate Change Expert Group . He is Cofounder and President of the Global Youth Strategy (GYS) on Air Pollution and Climate Health. Also, President of the Association for the Promotion of Youth Leadership, Advocacy and Volunteerism Cameroon (APYLAV). Elvis has led advocacy actions towards requesting and successfully establishing a collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health to facilitate air pollution and health training of healthcare facilities and the general public as well as raising awareness on air pollution and health in Cameroon.

Carl Stephen Ansah Osei

Carl Stephen Ansah Osei has a bachelor’s degree in Medicine from University of Ghana Medical School, a Master of Public Health degree from the Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam and an MPhil degree in Applied Epidemiology and Disease Control from the University of Ghana School of Public health. He currently works with Ghana Health Service as the National Program Manager for Occupational and Environmental Health. His mandate is to promote safer and healthier working and living environments for all Ghanaians as well as build partnerships with other national and international organizations to advance the frontiers of occupational and environmental health. Carl Osei is also a member of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons as well as the Ghana Medical Association.

Heather Adair-Rohani currently leads the work on air quality, energy and health at the World Health Organization Headquarters. She has led the establishment of the Health and Energy Platform of Action, and the High-level Coalition on Health and Energy. She co-led the coordination and development of the WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion and is currently overseeing the work to support countries in the implementation of these Guidelines through the Clean Household Energy Solutions Toolkit. She also actively participates and represents WHO at various global initiatives focused on health, air pollution and energy like UN Energy, Sustainable Energy for All, Inter-Agency Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators, and the Global Strategy for Women, Children and Adolescent Health.

Sophie Gumy is Technical Officer in the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organization. She is leading WHO's work on evidence synthesis, capacity-building and monitoring of ambient air pollution exposure and related disease burden. Prior to joining the Air Quality and Health unit, she was working on the burden of disease from various environmental risk factors, including air pollution, water and sanitation and climate change.

Samantha Pegoraro is medical doctor currently working as a Technical Officer in the Air Quality and Health unit at the World Health Organization in Geneva, where she is responsible for activities related to building the capacity of the health workforce on air pollution and health. Prior to joining WHO, she served as climate and health coordinator for Italian Climate Network and as resident physician in psychiatry at the Geneva University Hospital.

This event is part of the WHO Webinar Series – Clean air and energy for health: from evidence to solutions.

The series gives a 360° view on current state of science, tools, interventions and the implementation of policies and programmes for clean air and better health. This series will also showcase solutions that can help prevent or mitigate air pollution health, economic and environmental costs. Bringing together experts, leaders, policymakers, civil society champions, innovators from a multi-sectorial perspective, it will also serve as a platform for fostering dialogue, sharing knowledge, and ultimately shaping a healthier, more sustainable future for all.