1. Update on WHO and TFH activities
Marie-Eve Héroux
Technical Officer, Air Quality and Noise
WHO European Centre for Environment and Health 1

2. Presentation outline Reporting on activities 2016-2017
TFH meeting May 2017; inputs to work plan for
Relevant regional and global activities

3. Activities
Develop further the methodologies for assessment and quantification of direct and indirect effects of long-range transboundary air pollution on human health
Launch of WHO AirQ tool; capacity building at regional and sub-regional levels
Collect and analyze the evidence on health impacts of ozone and particulate matter (including black carbon)
Update of WHO Air Quality Guidelines
Assess the practices for communication of health risks associated with air pollution exposure
Overview on communication strategies/systems in different parties to the Convention – results of WHO survey

4. Update of Global AQ guidelines (1/2)
Ongoing project ( )
General objectives:
For a number of ambient air pollutants, for relevant averaging times and in relation to critical health outcomes:
Provide updated numerical concentration limits (i.e. guidelines) and,
Where possible, provide an indication of the shape of the concentration-response function (CRF)
Provide a qualitative recommendation on the relation between exposure to natural sources of dust and adverse health outcomes.
Funding/in-kind support received from the European Commission (DG-Env), Switzerland, USA, Germany and Republic of Korea

5. Update of Global AQ guidelines (2/2)
Selection of pollutants and health outcomes:
Pollutants: PM (PM2.5, PM10), NO2, O3, SO2, CO
Health outcomes: based on a framework for causality and severity of outcomes
Long-term exposure to PM, O3 and NO2 and mortality
Short-term exposure to CO and ED visits/HA due to ischemic heart disease
Short-term exposure to NO2, O3, SO2 and ED visits/HA due to asthma
Short-term exposure to PM, O3 and NO2 and mortality
Development of methodology for guideline development and conduct of systematic reviews / meta-analyses in
* ED visits/HA = emergency department visits/hospital admission

6. 20th TFH meeting – May 2017
National and international policies and processes on air quality and health
Review of the progress in research on health impacts of air pollution
Including new knowledge on NO2 and PAHs
Experiences in using WHO AirQ+ software to quantify the health impacts of air pollution
Case studies, experience and user feedback
Needs for capacity building
Future upgrades and new functionalities of the tool
Communication and public health messages for air pollution
For general public, patients and medical professionals
Discussion of current activities and work plan of TFH for
*Funding from Switzerland and Germany acknowledged

7. Regional activities
6th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health
7 emerging priority areas currently being negotiated for the Conference:
ensuring the environmental sustainability of health systems
safe and sustainable water and sanitation
making European cities sustainable and resilient to global environmental change
improving air quality
eliminating threats to human health for countries in transition to the circular economy
strengthening resilience to climate change
promoting chemical safety

8. Draft revised mandate for TFH?
Responsible for assessing health impacts related to air pollution
Functions:
Quantification of health impacts at local and regional levels:
Monitoring and reporting
Providing advice and tools
Expanding the knowledge base:
Consolidation of existing evidence on health outcomes (evidence reviews, guideline recommendations)
Identification of new/emerging issues of health relevance (knowledge gaps, research needs)
International coordination:
Involvement of health sector and other actors
Synergies with other processes (Paris Agreement, UNEA, SDGs, etc)