air pollution Archives - IHV

We were delighted to present our air pollution resources and Respiratory Health project (funded by The Burdett Trust for Nursing) at the UKHSA Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution Stakeholder Event yesterday, held at the Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne.

The event included a wide range of stakeholders – from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to local Public Health Leads, Global Action Plan to Universities, Clean Air Network, and other charities such as MP Smarter Travel. It was a fantastic opportunity for all these different groups to come together with a shared vision and understanding of how to make things better and put research into action.

During the day, we heard about each other’s work. There were active discussions on what is needed to shift the narrative, what investment is needed, how to balance individual and government/society responsibilities, and what can be learnt from other public health work such as obesity.

One of the most encouraging things which we came away with from the day was the impact of health visiting in this space. There was not one person or organisation who didn’t say that they “need to include health visiting in their research”, “health visitors are vital to this work”, and other variations on this theme. It was an excellent opportunity to shine a light on the importance and unique role of health visitors and why we need more investment to strengthen health visiting services.

Watch our animation about air pollution which we shared at the event:

Click here to visit our Air Quality and Pollution page to find more resources which we developed as part of the project

If you would like to develop your learning in this area, contact the iHV Learning and Development team to find out more about our half-day Respiratory Health Ambassador training. This programme not only covers air pollution, its effects on health and how to mitigate these, it also discusses how to support families of babies and children with asthma, cystic fibrosis and preterm chronic lung disease.

To help raise awareness of the health visitor’s role in tackling air pollution, we are delighted to share the recording of our exclusive interview with Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah which was held at our iHV Leadership Conference on 4 December 2024. We have made the recording of this conference session open-access to raise awareness of the topic – help us spread the word that “clean air matters”!

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah CBE is a globally recognised advocate for clean air and is a powerful voice in the air pollution debate. Rosamund started campaigning after her daughter, Ella, tragically died at the age of nine of a fatal asthma attack. Following an inquest, the coroner ruled the cause of Ella’s death to be air pollution. Ella is the first and only person to have air pollution as the cause of death on her death certificate.

Ella’s life mattered and it was cruelly cut short because of where she lived and the air that she breathed – she had no choice! At the iHV we stand with Rosamund in advocating for change to ensure that Ella is not forgotten and her legacy drives lasting change.

Rosamund founded The Ella Roberta Foundation which is a charity dedicated to campaigning for clean air, established in memory of Ella.

Rosamund, Ella’s mum said:

“We believe in a world where everyone can breathe air that is free from toxic pollution, regardless of where they live, their economic status or their ethnic background”

Rosamund’s determination to highlight the human cost of air pollution has led to her addressing audiences all over the world and we were very humbled to have Rosamund join us as a keynote speaker at our iHV Leadership Conference.

You can watch the full recording here

Rosamund is calling for a public health campaign to raise awareness of the impact of air pollution on our children’s health. Here is what you can do to help:

Raise awareness about the impact of air pollution on health, especially for children and vulnerable groups, and encourage local action to reduce pollution.
Understand your target audience, for example: Parents, schools, healthcare professionals, local policymakers, commissioners, Health boards and local MPs.
Define your key messages such as:

“Air pollution is an invisible threat – but its impact on our health is real.”
“Children are most at risk – let’s protect their right to breathe clean air.”
“Small changes lead to big impact – switch off engines, walk or cycle, support green initiatives.”
“We need policies that put health first – clean air is a right, not a privilege.”

Campaign activities & strategy: for example, community engagement events, media campaigns, and petitions for clean air policies.
Access training on the impact of air pollution. At the iHV we are currently working on resources and training to support health visiting practitioner’s conversations with families on air pollution – discussing the public health aspects and its impact on health. Booking details will be published in the spring.
Measure success: For example, tracking social media engagement, attendance at events, community feedback/surveys and monitoring policy changes.
Sustain impact:
1. Create a “Clean Air Community Task Force” to keep the conversation going.
2. Continue collaborating with local businesses, schools, and healthcare providers.
3. Plan an annual clean air awareness week to keep momentum.

Our exclusive interview with Rosamund is part of our ongoing commitment to bringing high-profile speakers with lived experience to our conferences, ensuring that real stories drive real change.

Join us at our next iHV Evidence-based Practice Conference ‘Healthier Beginnings’ in Manchester on 8 May. This conference will showcase the latest health visiting research, evidence, clinical expertise and lived experiences, equipping practitioners with newfound knowledge and skills to ensure that all babies and children have a healthy beginning to their life.

To view the full programme, click here

To secure your early bird ticket, click here