Breathing Health into Solutions for Air Pollution: Actions for the Health Sector
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Publication Type:
Publisher:
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Publication:
June 2026
This brief shows why regional cooperation and better integrated policies can help cut premature deaths and underpin sustainable development.
Ninety-two percent of people living in Asia and the Pacific are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution contributing to 4 million premature deaths each year.
Across the region, countries face obstacles in effectively tackling air pollution, including limited financial resources for pollution control technologies and clean energy infrastructure; weak regulatory frameworks and enforcement capacity; inadequate air quality monitoring systems; competing development priorities; and the pollution-increasing effects of rapid urbanization and industrialization.
The brief sets out a cross-sector approach that includes technological, fiscal policy, and design solutions that focus on driving clean energy transitions, building robust environmental governance systems, and targeting sustainable urban development to improve both health and economic productivity.
