From science to policy: Estimating the health impacts of air pollution to inform decision-making

Ambient air pollution is considered the leading environmental risk factor affecting global health. Air pollution is also interlinked with climate change, as they share emission sources, health and environmental effects, and mitigation approaches. This presentation describes recent advances in assessing health impacts of air pollution at the global scale, with a focus on characterizing the influence of ambient air pollution on asthma incidence and exacerbation, a health outcome that has been linked with air pollution but not yet included in leading global burden of disease studies. The presentation will also discuss science-policy analyses that apply air pollution health impact assessment methods to pressing environmental policy challenges. These applications will highlight ongoing and recent efforts to assess the burden of disease from transportation-related emissions globally and from air pollution concentrations in cities around the world. Results can help inform decision-making to address air pollution and climate change at the international, national, and urban scales.