Air Sentry says it is very proud to be one of the sponsors of the World Health Organization's inaugural European conference on Indoor Air.
While the face-to-face event, tilted ‘Making a Step Change in Indoor Environments for Human Health’ and taking place from 11.00 am-3.00 pm on 20 September at Hotel Schweizerhof, Bern, is oversubscribed already, it can be joined online for free by using the following registration link: https://site.genevahealthforum.com/index.php/en/2023-events/first-who-europe-indoor-air-conference This will also give online attendees access to the recorded conference for subsequent viewing,
Andrew Carnegie, Air Sentry’s MD, said: “With UK councils starting to respond to the Environment Act 2021 with draft plans to deal with air quality, alongside the problems witnessed addressing the airborne nature of SarsCov2, this conference stands to be pivotal in helping society recognise, analyse, and address, the real issues around air quality facing our world today.
“Today the numbers recognised dying prematurely due to poor air quality in the United Kingdom are not dissimilar to that caused by tobacco smoke. Sadly, this includes deaths within our hospital environments. Work by IHEEM shows that over 60% of existing UK clinical areas do not meet good ventilation standards. On top of this, particulate pollution (particularly pm 2.5) has documented effects on our environment, even down to reducing visibility while driving. It also contributes to global warming, and it is quite feasible that poor air quality far outstrips tobacco as a leading cause of death. This conference is a first step in helping formulate global strategies which will help not only for today, but for future generations moving forward.”
The organisers say the event, organised in collaboration with the Geneva Health Forum, will ‘bring together leading experts, scholars, and policymakers to address the crucial issue of indoor air quality in buildings.’ They said: “The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of ventilation in mitigating respiratory diseases. Beyond that, exposure to indoor pollutants significantly impacts health, productivity, and overall wellbeing. However, many buildings lack sufficient ventilation and measures to ensure good indoor air quality. The focus of the meeting will be to consider what is needed at a strategic level to make effective change to improve indoor environments in buildings. We will explore the practical challenges and opportunities for understanding and mitigating poor ventilation in the most cost-effective ways.”
The conference reportedly features ‘a stellar line-up’ of speakers, ‘including world-renowned experts in environmental engineering, health, and indoor environment research, government officials, and policymakers’.
