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Understanding the health effects of air pollution and the role that nursing staff can play in protecting patients at risk

Robert A Friedline

Air pollution is now the world’s largest environmental health threat, accounting for 7 million deaths globally every year and is now become a global public health emergency. Latest data from WHO shows that 9 out 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air. Air pollution can affect every organ in the body. It can lead to many diseases including asthma, COPD, pneumonia, rhinitis, sinusitis, respiratory infection and cancers Recent studies show that air pollution can also affect developing fetuses (i.e. – low birth weight) and lead to mental health problems. In response to the global issue of air pollution, GSK Consumer Healthcare launched The Clean Breathing Institute (TCBI) in 2018, a collaborative scientific initiative set up to help reduce the negative impact of air pollution on people’s health around the world. TCBI mission is to empower HCPs to help their patients breathe better by providing high quality educational tools and resources, developed together with thought leaders, for Healthcare Professionals to assist their patients suffering from the effects of air pollution. Poor air quality affects all of us, but some people are more at risk than others. Identifying individuals who are at more vulnerable is key to ensuring that they are aware of appropriate measures to minimize their exposure and manage their symptoms. Nursing staff, being at the frontline of the healthcare system, are in a unique position to identify patients that are affected by the negative effects of air pollution and could play a critical role to protect their health and promote wellbeing. TCBI would like to work with nurses and midwifes to understand how we could partner together to tackle the effects of air pollution and people health and bring hope in this polluted world.