Roula Inglesi-Lotz is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Pretoria and currently holds a Bilateral SARChI Chair in Just Energy Transitions. She obtained a PhD in Economics from the University of Pretoria. Her research and teaching focus on energy economics, environmental economics, and macroeconomics.

PLANET4HEALTH (P4H) for World Environmental Health Day (WEHD) 2025

A Multisectoral Approach to Adaptation & Mitigation of Adverse Effects of Vector-Borne Diseases, Environmental Pollution and Climate Change on Planetary Health.

Dr Frederico Peres graduated in Biological Sciences, holds a Masters and a PhD degree in Public Health, and a Post-doctorate fellowship in Occupational and Environmental Health. He is a Senior Researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), a Visiting Associate Professor at the National School of Public Health of the NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Fellow Researcher at the Division of International Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He was Vice-Chair and an Associate Dean at Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (ENSP/FIOCRUZ).

Living close to busy roads puts your health at risk.

Air pollution from vehicles and dust can harm everyone but especially:

• Babies and young children
• Pregnant women
• Elderly people
• Anyone with asthma, TB, heart or lung problems

View the complete Breathe Safely Near Busy Roads  - Flyer

Air pollution is a serious health risk — especially for unborn babies and infants

Breathing polluted air during pregnancy can increase the risk of low birth weight, premature birth, developmental delays, and in severe cases even miscarriage or stillbirth. Infants exposed to polluted air are more likely to develop asthma and other lung diseases, infections like pneumonia and have poor brain development and learning challenges.

Background: What is Air Pollution?

Air pollution refers to the presence of harmful substances in the air we breathe. These include gases (like nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which originate from vehicles, industry, burning of waste, household fuel use, and natural sources like dust and veld fires.

View the Sun protection: How to avoid being caught out | The BMJ Infographic on the BMJ website.

Antonio Gasparrini is a Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology based at the Department of Department of Social & Environmental Health Research at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in the United Kingdom (U.K.).