Pollution and health, why should I care? - The Lancet highlights the impact of pollution on health

14/12/2017 | SDC Office, Europaplatz, Room A2023, Berne

with Richard Fuller, President of Pure Earth & co-chair of the Lancet Commission

And the participation of: Nino Künzli, Deputy Director Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (SwissTPH), Richard Ballaman, Head of the section Air quality management, Federal office for the Environment, Pio Wennubst, Head of the domain Global Cooperation at SDC (TBC), The Hydrology section, Federal office for the Environment (TBC). Diseases caused by pollution were responsible in 2015 for an estimated 9 million premature deaths - 16% of all deaths worldwide – three times more deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined; and fifteen times more than all wars and other forms of violence. Nevertheless, pollution is still neglected although it is well known that the cost of inaction is high, while solutions can yield economic gains. Nearly 92% of pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.