4 April, 2025
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) and European Lung Foundation (ELF) joined the global health community in calling for stronger action on clean air at the WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Colombia.
ERS and ELF representatives brought the perspectives of both respiratory professionals and patients to the global discussion on the importance of tackling air pollution at the conference, which took place in Cartagena, Colombia, from 24–28 March.
EU Healthy Air Coalition partners discuss WHO air quality guidelines implementation
Before the main conference began, ERS and ELF, alongside partners HEAL and EPHA, took part in a pre-conference meeting of the EU Healthy Air Coalition. Members of the coalition shared experiences from its advocacy efforts in Europe and discussing how WHO air quality guidelines can be implemented.
Prof. Barbara Hoffmann (ERS Advocacy Council Chair), and Prof. Zorana Andersen (former Chair of the ERS Environment and Health Committee) both took part, in addition to ELF Chair Dimitris Kontopidis, and ELF Director Pippa Powell.
Prof. Hoffmann emphasised the need to translate scientific evidence into policy and to strengthen collaboration, while Prof. Andersen shared lessons learned in advocating for air quality within the health sector.
Healthy Lungs and Heart for Life offers free public spirometry and oximetry testing
In Cartagena’s Parque Centenario from 25–26 March, a Healthy Lungs and Heart for Life event opened to the public, providing health checks to raise awareness of the effects of air pollution on respiratory and cardiovascular health. Organised by ERS and ELF in collaboration with the World Heart Federation (WHF) and local partners, the event offered free spirometry and oximetry tests to assess lung function and blood oxygen levels, both of which are impacted by air pollution.
The event marked a first-of-its-kind collaboration across disease areas and built on the success of the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign. For over 10 years, this global initiative has raised awareness of lung disease risk factors while advocating for policy change to reduce disease burden and improve patient outcomes.
The event opened with speeches from Dimitris Kontopidis, Prof. Hoffmann, Prof. Poornima Prabhakaran (Chair of the WHF Air Pollution Expert Group), and Shane Fitch (CEO and Founder of Lovexair).
ERS involvement in key WHO conference sessions
Later in the week at the WHO conference centre, Prof. Hoffmann participated in a Lovexair panel centred on the short film Breathe, Mom (Respira, Mama), created by Meri Collazos Solà. The film explores the health impacts of urban air pollution and was inspired by Meri’s discovery that her newborn daughter carries a genetic predisposition to lung disease. More information on the documentary is available on the Lovexair website.
Prof. Andersen also spoke at a WHO session focused on connecting air pollution, health and climate. She underscored the urgent public health threat posed by black carbon and ultrafine particles. Later, Prof. Hoffmann addressed the importance of equipping the public health workforce to advocate for clean air, calling for deeper community engagement and stronger protective policies.
Signatories for WHO’s call for immediate action on clean air nears 50 million
ERS and ELF joined health leaders to show support for the WHO’s global call to action on clean air. On behalf of the patient community, ELF Chair Dimitris Kontopidis presented the call to action to Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health and Environment, during the opening session. With nearly 50 million signatories, the call highlights growing global demand for stronger measures to protect health from the impacts of air pollution.
ERS Advocacy Council Chair Prof. Barbara Hoffmann said:
“There is still a huge amount of work to be done to eliminate air pollution, something which is fundamental to protecting health on a global scale.
“In Europe alone, 97% of people breathe unhealthy air – this is unacceptable, especially when you take into account the impact which air pollution has on vulnerable people, and the number of deaths which it contributes to across the world each year – all of which are preventable.
“We need world leaders to take note of this warning and take clear, bold action now.”
On 27 March, the Healthy Lungs and Heart for Life initiative moved to the WHO conference centre, where delegates took part in health checks, engaged with the public outreach model, and explored opportunities for adapting the initiative for their advocacy and health promotion efforts.
Healthy Lungs and Heart for Life in Colombia would not have been possible without the support of our local partners, including Cartagena de Indias, Sociedad Latina, Fundación Ayúdanos a Respirar, Lovexair Foundation, Fundación InspiraT, Latin Health Leaders, Fundación Fibrosis Quística Colombia, Fundación de Neumológica Colombiana, La Liga Colombiana Contra el Infarto y la Hipertensión. We thank all collaborators for their contributions, and extend our appreciation to ndd Medical Technologies for supplying spirometry equipment, and to the Clean Air Fund for supporting this important initiative.
ERS and respiratory stakeholders make clean air commitments
The conference concluded with major commitments from over 50 member states, UN agencies, civil society and key stakeholders to tackle air pollution for health and the planet. Brian Ward, ERS Advocacy and Public Affairs Director, and Pippa Powell, ELF Director, joined those making commitments.
On behalf of ERS, Brian told the conference that ERS commits to:
- empowering our 35,000 healthcare professional members to advocate for cleaner air;
- continue supporting education and research on air pollution and climate change;
- persisting in our efforts to engage policymakers and the public on the urgent need to improve our air quality.
The week’s events delivered a clear message: air pollution is a serious health threat, and tackling it requires cross-sector collaboration. Learn more about: