Green Impact for Health: Healthy Lungs for Life resources

The resources below will support you to raise awareness of the impact of air pollution on lung health. Please use them within your practice and online as part of World Lung Day 2022, and beyond.

If you require the resources in an alternative format, or in Welsh, please contact giforhealth@sos-uk.org.

Don’t forget to mark action EXT005 (in the ‘extra’ tab) as ‘done’ on your Green Impact for Health toolkit once you’ve shared the information!

Social media content

It is estimated that long-term exposure to man-made air pollution in the UK has an annual effect equivalent to 28,000 to 36,000 deaths
September 25. World Lung Day.
In honour of World Lung Day, we will celebrate the most recent advances in lung health today. It is critical to recognise the progress achieved to safeguard lung health, but much more has to be done to attain healthy air and a world free of lung disease. The burden isn’t shared equally – people of color are more than three times as likely as white people to live in the most polluted areas. The same pollution sources that lead to hazardous air pollution also contribute to climate change, which damages health in communities globally. Climate change harms lung health in a variety of ways, including worsened air pollution from wildfire smoke and increased levels of ozone pollution, longer and more intense allergy seasons, increased risk from water-borne and vector-borne diseases, and more mould and respiratory threats that occur after flooding events. We can and must address the causes of air pollution and climate change simultaneously.
Do you know what happened to Ella? written in a speech bubble with a graphic of a little girl.
Photo of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah. Ella is the first person in the world to have air pollution listed as a cause of death on her death certificate. Ella, who lived near the South Circular Road in South London, died in 2013. The inquest into Ella's death found levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) near her home in Lewisham, exceeded World Health Organisation (WHO). The inquest heard that in the three years before her death, she had multiple seizures and was admitted to hospital 27 times.
Inequality in air pollution. 1. The most deprived Londoners are more than six times more likely to live in areas with higher pollution than the least deprived. 2. Air pollution is significantly higher at schools in more deprived communities of London, and schools with higher intakes of Black, Asian and minority ethnic children.​ 3. In 2010, 80% of the primary schools that were located in areas that exceeded legal limits for NO₂ were in what are considered deprived areas.
What can you do? Petition, educate, raise awareness. There is clear evidence that people with a low income are affected by air pollution in a number of different ways. The disadvantages that come about as a result of poor income add up, putting deprived populations who are more likely to be in poor health at greater risk from air pollution and its adverse health impacts. We hope that by collaborating with medical experts, whether via study or raising awareness among health workers, we can help everyone understand the connection between health and air pollution. We believe that by raising public knowledge, we are empowering individuals to make educated decisions that will reduce their exposure to air pollution. These choices might range from going through a park instead of crossing a busy street to petitioning their MP and the government. You can found out air pollution forecast by local area, online: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/
What is air pollution? Images of cars in a queue
Air pollution can be defined as an alteration of air quality characterized by measurements of chemical, biological or physical pollutants in the air. Sources of air pollution include fossil fuel industries, manufacturing and construction, industrial processes and transport. Health impacts of air pollution include exacerbation of asthma, lung cancer, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, stroke and reduced life expectancy.
Air pollution can affect everyone, and air in all areas of the UK contains some proportion of man-made air pollutants. Groups that are more affected by air pollution include: older people children individuals with existing CVD or respiratory disease pregnant women communities in areas of higher pollution, such as close to busy roads low-income communities
The Environmental Audit Committee has estimated that health costs as a result of air pollution range between £8.5 billion and £20.2 billion a year. Additionally, thousands of lives are lost each year in the UK, as a result of air pollution. We need action to be taken by government and the biggest contributors. We can all take local action to reduce our contribution and exposure to air pollution.
Walking or cycling to work or using public transport whilst avoiding polluted routes, such as main roads, can help to improve health and reduce exposure. To avoid exposure to high levels of air pollution, it is important to be aware of air quality. You can do this by keeping an eye on online updates from relevant organisations, such as Defra’s Pollution forecast and air quality updates.
Sample social media and newsletter text
Infographics and posters
Impacts of air pollution poster
Air pollution poster
Keeping lungs healthy poster
Links to further information
Healthy Lungs for Life webpage
Gov.uk guidance on air pollution
BMA guidance on climate change and air pollution
Defra pollution forecast

SOS-UK recieved a grant from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) to create this comms pack as part of the Healthy Lungs for Life global public awareness campaign.

Green Impact for Health is funded by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).