Australia’s current air pollution standards are significantly weaker than the WHO guidelines, resulting in poor air quality contributing to the avoidable loss of thousands of lives each year, increased deaths from coronary heart disease and a range of respiratory conditions including lung cancer, and an increase in children being hospitalised with asthma each year.
Together with Climate and Health Alliance, Doctors for the Environment, Healthy Futures, Asthma Australia and Lung Foundation, we have released a joint statement calling for the immediate adoption of new World Health Organization (WHO) clean air guidelines by every federal, state and territory, and local government in Australia. Read the statement.