Governments must treat clean air as a core part of NCD prevention and a smart economic investment, leaders said at a WHA79 side event hosted by NCD Alliance and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
The event, The Clean Air Dividend: Investing in Health for All, highlighted the urgent need to shift investment away from polluting activities and toward solutions that protect health.
Speakers, which included experts from across sectors, warned that air pollution remains insufficiently integrated into national NCD strategies and investment frameworks, despite being a major driver of cardiovascular disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic respiratory disease, dementia and other NCDs.
The event also marked the launch of a new UICC report, Clean air in cancer control: An overview of the evidence, and a report from the NCD Alliance, A Breathable Planet: Best practices ro clean air policies to meet NCD targets.
Air pollution is an NCD crisis — and an economic issue
Opening the event, Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Environment, Climate Change and Migration at WHO, said air pollution is not inevitable, but the result of political choices.
“Air pollution is not a natural accident — it is the result of political decisions. Clean air is not negotiable; it is a foundation for dignity and life,” he said.
Most (99%) of the global population is exposed to air that exceeds WHO air quality guidelines. In 2023, air pollution caused an estimated 7.9 million premature deaths, with 90% attributable to NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic respiratory disease and dementia.
Speakers also highlighted the economic burden of air pollution, estimated at US$8 trillion annually, and called for health to be placed at the centre of economic decision-making.
“When health is not at the centre of decision-making, everyone loses — people, societies, and businesses alike,” said Krech.
Rosie Tasker, Policy and Advocacy Manager at UICC, said rising lung cancer cases among people who have never smoked show why air pollution must be treated as a growing public health crisis.
“The rise of lung cancer among people who never smoked is a powerful reminder that air pollution is not just an environmental issue — it is a growing public health crisis with impacts far beyond what we once recognised,” she said.
Rachael Stanton, Policy and Advocacy Officer at NCD Alliance, said clean air action can deliver benefits across health, climate and development.
“Air pollution is driving and worsening NCDs, but the solutions offer a triple win: cleaner air, healthier populations, and a safer climate,” she said.
From evidence to implementation
Moderated by Mohamed Osman, Representative of the World Medical Association Junior Doctors Network and member of the Our Views, Our Voices Global Advisory Committee, the panel explored how governments can move from commitments on air pollution and health to scaled implementation.
Pedro Gullón, General Director of Public Health and Equity at Spain’s Ministry of Health, shared lessons from Spain’s experience implementing low-emission zones, highlighting the importance of governance, evidence and equity.
“Health evidence alone does not drive change. Real progress depends on three pillars: strong governance, solid evidence, and equity at the centre of every policy decision,” he said.
Astrid Puentes Riaño, UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment, said clean air action must also be understood as a human rights issue.
“Public participation and access to justice are not optional — they are essential to protecting the rights of those most affected, especially young people, Indigenous communities, and children,” she said.
Chhavi Bhandari, Co-Director of Impact and Engagement at The George Institute for Global Health, said the economic case for clean air should be framed around cost avoidance and co-benefits, not only new spending.
“The case for clean air is not new spending, but cost avoidance — especially since 71% of clean air measures deliver net economic benefits,” she said.
Seema Bali, Our Views, Our Voices Global Advisory Committee member and co-chair of the Healthy India Alliance National Network of People Living with NCDs, stressed that communities must be continuously involved in shaping clean air policies, not consulted as a one-off exercise.
“Community participation is mandatory,” she said. “If communities cannot come forward, advocates must reach out, connect with them and understand their specific realities.”
Investing in clean air for health for all
The event closed with a call to action from partners, including Christie Oliver, Senior Manager for Global Public Policy and International Affairs at Haleon, and Nina Renshaw, Head of Health at the Clean Air Fund.
Oliver said accountability and equity must be built into clean air action.
“If you cannot measure, you cannot be accountable,” she said.
She highlighted Haleon’s Care for Every Breath campaign as an example of practical, multi-stakeholder action to raise awareness and support people affected by air pollution.
Renshaw said air pollution remains critically underfunded, particularly from a public health perspective.
“Philanthropy must step up its investment in air pollution, a field that remains critically underfunded — receiving only around 0.1% of global philanthropic support,” she said.
In closing remarks, Dr María Neira, Senior Fellow at the Clean Air Fund, said health professionals have a critical role to play in communicating the health risks of air pollution, including its links to cancer.
“Air pollution remains one of the most pressing global public health threats,” she said. “Health professionals have a critical role to play in communicating its risks — including its status as a cancer risk — while strong local, regional, and national legislation is essential to drive meaningful action.”
As WHA79 continues, NCD Alliance and partners are calling for clean air to be treated as a core pillar of NCD prevention and a smart investment in health for all.