Countries in East Africa experience high levels of air pollution as well as significant health effects from both outdoor and household air pollution. There is a substantial need for comprehensive data and empirical support surrounding air pollution’s impacts on health and overall well-being. Multiple efforts are currently underway to expand air quality monitoring and reinforce local capacity for data generation.
The growing interest from the public and governments alike is driving a greater demand for data and evidence regarding air pollution levels, trends, and associated health effects.
With support from the Clean Air Fund, HEI will host a series of four webinars designed to foster engagement, collaboration, learning and peer-exchange relating to research and policy decisions on air quality and health. The webinars will take place between September 2023 and January 2024 and discussions will focus on four crosscutting themes:
- Building momentum for health studies using locally available air quality and health data to strengthen air pollution and health evidence.
- Strengthening capacity to promote East Africa-led studies with emphasis on implementation-based science to address key policy-relevant questions.
- Expanding public engagement and communication on health effects of air pollution using tailored strategies for specific audiences.
- Opportunities for promoting integrated action to encourage multidisciplinary co-design and engagement.
The series follows the Workshop on Air Pollution and Health in East Africa held in March 2023, which gathered 50 participants from 7 countries to focus on strengthening technical expertise on air pollution and health across East Africa.
Save the date: The first webinar is scheduled for September 19, 2023, and will focus on “Building momentum for health studies using locally available air quality and health data in East Africa”.
