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We at the Lung Care Foundation strongly believe in the '3 A' approach to addressing air pollution: awareness – awakening – action. Awareness of the serious health impacts of air pollution will awaken people to the urgency and gravity of the issue, leading to decision-makers taking actions towards clean air.
In our opinion, doctors are in the best position to lead this approach globally. They are 'motivated motivators' who see the health impacts of air pollution first-hand in their daily practice - and they are highly respected in society. Patients and the public trust their opinion and advice. It is time for doctors across the globe to realize their potential and use their powerful voice to achieve clean air.
Doctors in India have taken the lead in this area through the Doctors for Clean Air Campaign. Twenty-one national medical associations, representing close to 200,000 specialist doctors, have acknowledged air pollution as a public health emergency and have committed to empower and engage their members to become advocates for clean air.
Doctors across the world have a duty to awaken the public and policy-makers about the need for clean air. It is essential for human health, not a luxury. The time to act is now. As we recover from COVID-19 and economies are rebuilt across the globe, our focus ought to be on providing clean air to our citizens. Overlooking air pollution with its health consequences, for short-term economic benefits, is not an option. The time to prioritize human health over national economic health is now.
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Written by
Arvind Kumar, Founder and Managing Trustee, Lung Care Foundation of India; Chairman, Centre for Chest Surgery and Director, Institute of Robotic Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi
Rajiv Khurana, Founder Trustee, the Lung Care Foundation, and Founder and CEO, The Personnel Lab
Abhishek Kumar, Chief Executive Officer and Founder Trustee, Lung Care Foundation
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
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