Ambiente e Salute News n.30 - novembre-dicembre 2024

Air pollution is one of the major concerns for children's health in Europe with 96% of the urban population exposed to contaminated air that adversely affects brain and lung development. This scenario increases the risk of asthma, cardiovascular diseases and neurobehaviour disorders, disproportionately impacting children in disadvantaged socio-economic contexts who often reside in areas with heavy traffic and poor air quality. In January 2025, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) published the report “How Clean Air Action can help address socio-economic health inequalities” which emphasized the urgency of implementing the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) mandating stricter pollution limits by 2030 to prevent and reduce the health inequalities. Furthermore, the report proposes concrete policy recommendations to improve public transport, encourage renewable energy and reduce emissions in urban centres. Clean air is not merely environmental issue, it is an imperative of social justice essential for protecting children's health and building a sustainable future for young people. Additionally, articles in this issue demonstrate how air pollution disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations, confirming the report’s data and proposed actions. We continue to summarize the main articles published in the monitored journals, all articles and editorials deemed worthy of attention are listed divided by topic, with a brief commentary. This issue is based on the systematic monitoring of publications in November and December 2024.