Speakers
- Zara Raffeeq
- Dr Emily Parker
- Dr Alice Willson
Date of Recording
September 9, 2024
Available Until
September 8, 2025
Air Pollution Companion
The Air Pollution Companion is a ‘one stop shop’ to learn about air pollution and child health, and integrate it into your practice. This resource was developed by the Clean Air Fund Partnership team, which includes three Clinical Fellows working alongside RCPCH policy experts.
In 2017-19, an estimated 7% of paediatric asthma admissions in London were linked to spikes in air pollution. Despite this, UK clinicians are unlikely to talk to their patients about air pollution, and even less likely to advocate for broader change.
We joined the RCPCH’s Clean Air Fund Partnership team to explore the barriers to talking to children, young people and their families about air pollution, and to learn how clinicians can overcome them.
This event was in partnership with #askaboutasthma 2024.
Research shows that despite recognising the significance of air pollution, UK health care professionals (HCP’s) are not taking action
This is a wasted opportunity as HCP’s, and in particular paediatricians, are among the most trusted in society
There are a number of barriers: lack of knowledge and confidence, perceived junior status, and air pollution being seen as an environmental issue
Actually, most HCP’s already know enough information, and you don’t need to know everything to be able to communicate – it's just about starting a conversation
Sometimes HCP’s worry about whether it is morally right to introduce a topic without an easy answer: we argued that it is, because denying CYP and families important information is paternalistic and impedes their ability to help themselves
Once you’ve armed yourself with knowledge and confidence, it’s much easier to take the leap to engage with CYP/families or to advocate more widely – see our helpful resources below
RCPCH Clean Air Network
The RCPCH has recently launched a Clean Air Network. Its primary aim is to mobilise and empower paediatricians as advocates for clean air, providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills to raise awareness about air pollution’s impact on child health.
If interested, find out more and sign up for the Clean Air Network.
If you have any queries please contact us at cleanair@rcpch.ac.uk
Air pollution in the UK – position statement
Air pollution poses a serious threat to children’s health in the UK, contributing to a range of adverse health outcomes and premature mortality. This updated position statement reviews the latest evidence, now including the impact of indoor air pollution on children. With pollutants from both outdoor and indoor environments presenting serious risks to the health and development of children and young people, there is an urgent need for comprehensive policy measures to safeguard their future.
Key reports:
Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution. RCP/RCPCH 2016
A useful multilanguage video explaining what air pollution is:
Video: Asthma and Air Quality – North Central London Integrated Care System
Talking to patients
Start by communicating well with CYP generally. See the RCPCH &Us resources:
Top tips for paediatricians and healthcare workers – RCPCH &Us
A really useful toolkit from WHO that can be applied to air pollution specifically:
Communicating on climate change and health: Toolkit for health professionals
Support yourself and patients by using reliable leaflets such as from Global Action Plan:
Air pollution and child health leaflet
Air pollution and children’s health checklist
Advocate for change
This is an example of a community working together to improve air pollution: Breathe London
This case study shows how public health measures (for other reasons) can dramatically improve health outcomes if the will is there: Differences in Birth Weight Associated with the 2008 Beijing Olympics Air Pollution Reduction: Results from a Natural Experiment
A collaborative of child health professionals who campaign for clean air and active travel: Ride for their lives – Home
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RCPCH Webinar: Air Pollution and Child Health Advocacy
In this webinar, Dr Helena Clements, RCPCH Officer for Climate Change, in conversation with Dr Camilla Kingdon, former RCPCH President and chair of the Health Air Coalition as they delve into air pollution and child health advocacy, drawing from their expertise and personal journeys.
We do not issue CPD certificates for webinars or podcasts, as we are unable to verify participation.
However, you are still able to record as a CPD activity as you normally would, detailing what you have learned and how the learning will benefit your practice.
When recording the activity, delegates should focus on the reflection and detail the following:
- What did you learn?
- What effect has/will the learning had/have on your current practice?
- What further learning or action, if any, is needed as a result of the original learning activity?
If you have any questions, please contact the CPD team
If you use the RCPCH CPD Diary, you can click here to visit the diary and record your learning: Log your learning on the RCPCH CPD Diary
Speakers
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Zara Raffeeq
RCPCH Climate Change Project Coordinator
Zara is the RCPCH Climate Change Project Coordinator, coordinating several aspects of the Clean Air Fund project including policy and communications. Prior to this role, Zara worked in the Health Policy Team, where she supported campaigns such as the Climate Change and Health Inequalities campaign along with policy research and committee support across a number of child health areas.
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Dr Emily Parker
Clinical Fellow - Clean Air Fund Partnership
Emily is a paediatric junior doctor with a background in social anthropology. Before studying medicine, she worked in the charity and built environment sectors in Berlin and London. In 2022-23 Emily undertook a Paediatric Sustainability Fellowship in Newcastle, bringing together her interest in environmental sustainability with her work as a doctor. Her research addresses the carbon footprint of medicines, how to reduce medicines waste, and ‘green inhaler’ policy. She started working with the RCPCH as a Clean Air Fellow in January 2024. Her role is focused on developing RCPCH policy and supporting clinicians at all stages of their careers to become clean air advocates.
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Dr Alice Willson
Clinical Fellow - Clean Air Fund Partnership
Alice is a general paediatric trainee in the North West. She has previously worked with RCPCH as a Global Links volunteer in Rwanda. Her interest in air pollution and health inequalities has grown out of clinical practice in respiratory medicine, and experience on the HEE Population Health fellowship 2022-23. Alice has a PGCE in medical education and instructs on multiple courses (APLS/NLS) bringing her expertise in communication to her Clean Air Fund work. When not at work, Alice can be found running in the fells or cycling with her two young children.
Found an issue? Please get in touch with us:
Email us at rcpchlearning@rcpch.ac.uk
