The second WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health Co-Hosted by the World Health Organization and Colombia, in the City of Cartagena, gathered over 700 participants from 100 country-inclusive heads of state, ministers, researchers and civil society groups to accelerate actions to limit what is increasingly described as a full-scale health.

“It’s time to move from obligations to bold actions,” said Tedro’s Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as Director General.

“To achieve pure air, we need urgent actions on all fronts: financial investments in sustainable solutions, such as in pure energy and sustainable transport, technical enforcement of who global air quality guidelines and social commitment to protect the most vulnerable in our most contaminated regions.”

The shared goal? A reduction of 50 percent in the health effect of air pollution by 2040.

Countries, including Brazil, Spain, China and the United Kingdom, laid out national timetables, while Clean Air Fund promised another $ 90 million for climate and health programs.

Cities that are part of the C40 network, including London, promised to strengthen air quality monitoring and push for major investments in pure air strategies.

A health crisis hidden in sight

According to WHO, air pollution is responsible for seven million premature deaths annually and is now the second leading global risk factor for disease after hypertension.

“Today, air pollution is the first risk factor for disease impairment,” said Maria Neira, director of the environment, climate change and health. “It’s the first risk factor to get sick.”

The burden is heavily in countries with rapidly growing cities and weak legislative frameworks. But Neira pointed out that the financial costs and health care are increasing globally. “These chronic diseases cost us well – to our health system and to our hospitals,” she said.

Despite the bleak statistics that leaders say solutions are at hand. Neira quoted China’s progress in cutting emissions while continuing to grow financially. “At one point, they demonstrated that you can reduce air pollution while still maintaining economic growth,” she said. “This argument that in order to tackle the causes of climate change, air pollution and environmental health, you should invest and you do not get benefits right away – it is not correct.”

Climate and health emergency

In fact, air pollution is not just a public health issue, but an important driver and symptom of the climate crisis. The burning of fossil fuels that feed air pollution also releases greenhouse gases – adding global warming.

“Climate change and air pollution cause overlap,” Neira said. “We have a lot to gain for health, for the economy and for society, sustainable development if we speed up this transition.”

She emphasized that Clean Air Solutions – including renewable energy, better urban design and phase -out of fossil fuels – also serve as climate control strategies.

“This pollution, this particles, we breathe every day … come from different sources, but basically from the combustion of fossil fuels,” she said. “This can only be avoided by speeding up the transition to more renewable energy sources; cleaner energy sources.”

Examples from Colombia and Europe

Hosts Colombia presented a slate of national initiatives, including cleaner fuels, zero emissions public transport and a target of reducing carbon emissions 40 percent by 2030.

“Air pollution claims more victims than violence itself. Poisoning our air costs life in silence – this conference strengthens our willingness to implement policies for both the environment and our people’s health,” said Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro.

He emphasized the importance of smarter regulation and brodity formation of inequality with indigenous peoples, local and rural areas.

In Europe, where air pollution still causes 300,000 premature deaths annually, legislators are moving towards stricter regulation. “Pollution is an invisible pandemic. It’s a slow movement,” Javier López, Vice President of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee.

The European Union recently adopted a new air quality directive that halved legal air pollution thresholds and aimed to reduce pollution -related deaths by 30 percent by 2030. “We have decided to come with the Air Quality Directive, which is part of the European green package,” Mr. López.

Regional model, global lessons

Officials of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) also participated in Cartagena and highlighted the Convention on long -reach border pollution as one of the most successful multilateral environmental agreements to date.

“The Air Convention … is a multilateral environmental agreement adopted in 1979 to tackle air pollution crossing national borders,” said police officer Carolin Sanz Noriega.

Since the adoption, the Convention has been extended to 51 parties and obtained deep emissions cuts throughout the region. “Reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitric oxides by 40 to 80% from 1990 levels in the UNECE region and for more than 30% for particles,” said Ms. Sanz Noriega.

She emphasized that the success of the agreement lies in its binding obligations, robust science and long -standing trust building mechanisms. “Countries implement the Convention because it really brings benefits. It brings health benefits, environmental benefits, crop benefits. It has co-genefits for climate.”

Through the forum for international cooperation on air pollution, UNECE is now working with countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia to share scientific tools and regulatory approaches.

But a major challenge, especially in the global south, remains technical capacity.

“We have to make sure the countries are able to monitor air quality. It’s the first step,” Neira said. “Unfortunately, in Africa, we are still missing a lot of surveillance capacity … you can’t control what you can’t measure.”

Prescribing clean air

The health sector provided one of the most important takeaways at the conference. With millions of medical professionals and individuals already supporting the WHO campaign, delegates emphasized that pure air should be recognized as central to disease prevention.

“We have 47 million signatures from health professionals, from patients, from advocates, from institutions saying” I want to prescribe pure air, “Neira said.

“I will not treat patients with diseases caused by exposure to toxic air. I want to make sure my patients are not exposed to and that they will therefore not develop these diseases.”

When the conference wrapped, the Cartagena Emboldened delegated with new partnerships, data and political opportunities – but also a resounding morally imperative.