27 November 2018 – WHO launches the first guidelines on housing and health at the 15th International Conference on Urban Health in Kampala, Uganda. The WHO Housing and health guidelines highlight the increasing impact of housing conditions on human health in light of urban growth, climate and demographic changes. The guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations relevant to inadequate living space (crowding), low and high indoor temperatures, injury hazards in the home, and accessibility of housing for people with functional impairments. In addition, the guidelines identify and summarize existing WHO guidelines and recommendations related to housing, with respect to water quality, air quality, neighbourhood noise, asbestos, lead, tobacco smoke, and radon.

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14 October 2016 – Health is the “pulse” of a city’s wellbeing, and as the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, Habitat III convenes Sunday October 16 in Quito Ecuador, health needs to be the centrepiece of planning for the New Urban Agenda. See how this can happen in the new WHO report here

• Read the WHO report

The equation is simple: 7 million people a year die from air pollution related diseases. And many air pollutants also damage the climate. So reducing air pollution would save lives and help slow the pace of near-term climate change.

This new campaign is being led by WHO in partnership with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).

• Official site
• Infographics
• More information about the campaign
• WHO video: Breathe Life – Clean Air, Healthy Future
• WHO video: BreatheLife – The Walk Home

Many sustainable development strategies can offer significant “win–wins” for health, climate and environment – and benefits can be almost immediate. This website highlights the policies and best practices, as well as tools, that promote healthy sustainable development. Equipped with knowledge and tools to promote “health in sustainable development”, health policy leaders and practitioners can become active partners with sectors such as transport, housing, energy, agriculture and industry in building healthier cities and rural environments.

• Overview of health, environment, and sustainable development

A new WHO report highlights the urgent need to reduce emissions of black carbon, ozone and methane – as well as carbon dioxide, which all contributive to climate change. Black carbon, ozone and methane – frequently described as short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – not only produce a strong global warming effect, they contribute significantly to the more than 7 million premature deaths annually linked to air pollution.

• Read the press release
• Download the report
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The BREATHE exhibit aims to catalyse conversation and reflection on the linkages between climate change, air pollution and health using multimedia arts and visuals.

The exhibit was most recently hosted by WHO in collaboration with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21).

• Read more about the exhibit