Chris Whitty report on air quality urges more action near schools

The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, has published a report on air pollution, recommending that local urban planning should do more to support reducing air pollution around areas such as schools and healthcare settings.

The report also said that tackling indoor air pollution should now also be a priority.

It says that there is growing evidence that initiatives such as School Streets increase levels of active travel to and from school, and improve air quality around schools.

The wide-ranging report on air pollution makes 15 recommendations across a range of sectors, including transport, urban planning, industry and agriculture.

The report says that indoor air pollution is becoming an increasing proportion of the overall problem as outdoor air pollution improves.

According to the report people spend around 80% of their time indoors, whether for work, study or leisure. Many indoor spaces are public, and people do not have a choice about spending time in them, such as schools. Despite this, indoor air pollution has been studied less than outdoors.

For indoor air pollution, the CMO’s recommendations finding ways to ensure effective ventilation while minimising energy use and heat loss. This is a priority for reducing indoor air pollution whilst achieving net zero carbon.

It also calls for increased research into tackling indoor air pollution including finding ways to reduce sources of indoor air pollution.

Dr Sarah Clarke, president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), said: "Air pollution is a growing and significant public health challenge and we strongly welcome the Chief Medical Officer making this the focus of his annual report for 2022.

"The RCP has been highlighting the harmful impacts of air pollution on health since 2016, when we published our report Every Breath We Take with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. We estimated then that around 40,000 deaths were attributable to outdoor air pollution, and since then a coroner found it to be a cause of death for the first time, that of 9-year-old Ella Adoo Kissi Debrah.

"The CMO’s report is an important contribution that makes clear why we must be proactive and ambitious in our efforts to improve both outdoor and indoor air quality for everyone."