UN Environment and WHO agree to major collaboration on environmental health risks:

Linking action on environmental and human health received a boost this week, when the UN Environment Programme and the World Health Organization signed an agreement to collaborate on environmental health risks.

Among these were the health impacts of air pollution and climate change, on which the two UN agencies agreed to step up joint actions to combat.

The collaboration affirms joint management of the BreatheLife advocacy campaign to reduce air pollution for multiple climate, environment and health benefits.

This represents the most significant formal agreement on joint action across the spectrum of environment and health issues in over 15 years.

Other issues include antimicrobial resistance, improved coordination on waste and chemicals management, water quality, food and nutrition issues.

Air quality is already one of the priority areas of cooperation between UN Environment and WHO, which work on providing guidance and support to countries on standard operating procedures for more effective air quality monitoring, more accurate environmental and health assessments, including economic assessment, and advocacy.

Air pollution kills 6.5 million people each year.

Read the press releases here.