The problem:
Air pollution causes more than 2 million deaths a year in India, more than any other country in the world. But there is too little understanding of its causes and health impacts, or political will to address it.
Lack of understanding of the causes and health impacts of air pollution in India has stifled action to tackle this silent killer. We fund a mix of projects designed to improve the evidence base and use it to mobilise grassroots and elite political action.
Air pollution causes more than 2 million deaths a year in India, more than any other country in the world. But there is too little understanding of its causes and health impacts, or political will to address it.
The Clean Air Fund supports grassroots efforts to monitor data and mobilise action, whilst also giving health workers and officials the tools to show the damage it does. This enables them and others to call for joined-up policy solutions which also tackle related problems like climate change and poverty. By supporting the health sector to become a leading voice for clean air action, we aim to change the narrative on health and air quality in India.
Our grant to Health Care Without Harm builds on the pioneering efforts of Dr. Arvind Kumar to build a network of health workers who can act as clean air champions for patients, policy makers and the wider public.
This grant includes four key program areas:
Some highlights of this grant so far include:
The project will continue to advance on the four pillars of work through to 2022. We will expand the network of hospitals in India working on building a clean air narrative, recruit more professionals to the Doctors for Clean Air network, and expand our grassroots engagement with communities in the hardest hit regions.