By making daily, conscious decisions, people can avoid many toxic and unhealthy habits during their lifetime. What if breathing, which is not something that can be avoided, becomes bad for health? Approximately 7 million people die annually due to air pollution, according to estimates by the World Health Organization, and almost half of these deaths are in Europe. At the recent 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78), two major resolutions were voted on by the 194 Member States. The first was to approve an updated roadmap with the goal of reducing the health impact of air pollution by 50% by 2040. The second targeted the youngest population – babies – whereby Member States agreed to address the digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes and baby foods in order to ensure the healthiest start in life for children during their first 1,000 days. Can these two resolutions achieve their stated goals? Check out what experts have to say about this and their opinions on the biggest challenges and solutions.
Key Takeaways:
- At the WHA78, a new resolution introduced a roadmap aiming to halve the health impact of human-generated air pollution by 2040.
- According to experts, while this roadmap acknowledges transboundary pollution, detailed mechanisms for regional cooperation need further development.
- Member States adopted a resolution to close the loopholes in digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes and baby foods, extending the International Code to cover online influencers, tailored promotions, and cross-border adverts.
- This decision is vital for child nutrition, especially for breastfeeding mothers, explain the experts. However, the social media promotions, often masked as support or influencer content, can be hard to recognize.
DevelopmentAid: What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the WHO 2025–2040 roadmap on air pollution, and how realistic is its implementation?
“The WHO’s 2025–2040 roadmap aims to halve the health impact of air pollution by 2040 (compared to 2015 levels), a target considered to be “feasible and affordable” by the World Bank. Its strong points are a clear, ambitious goal, strong political endorsement from numerous governments (e.g., the UK, India, Brazil, China) and bodies like C40 cities, as well as a crucial emphasis on cross-sectoral action across energy, transport, industry, and urban development. The roadmap also highlights the need for better data, strengthened governance, and alignment with climate change mitigation efforts to offer co-benefits. It builds upon WHO-based evidence and emphasizes integrated action across many sectors to align with the ‘One Health’ and ‘Health in All’ policy approaches. The new priorities call for Universal Health Coverage, addressing air pollution within national public health agendas, and enhancing emergency preparedness, making it a cross-sectoral priority. However, the roadmap has a few vital gaps. One significant criticism is the lack of explicit calls for a phase-out of fossil fuels, a major driver of air pollution. Funding for air quality initiatives, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), remains insufficient despite recognition of the economic benefits of clean air. Practical enforcement and implementation, especially in LMICs with weaker governance, pose substantial challenges. While the roadmap acknowledges transboundary pollution, detailed mechanisms for regional cooperation need further development. Its effectiveness hinges on robust financial investment, strong political will, and a rapid transition away from fossil fuels.”
“As an environmental health professional working in Ukraine, I find the WHO framework conceptually sound yet insufficiently adapted for crisis-affected regions. Our experience demonstrates how infrastructure destruction – particularly the collapse of the Kahovka Dam – creates emergency air quality situations that demand specific response protocols. While India’s success with systematic monitoring and energy transition proves the effectiveness of the WHO’s core approach, we have identified critical implementation gaps. The current framework lacks rapid response mechanisms for conflict zones. We urgently require mobile monitoring units and streamlined international funding channels. Without these, even basic air quality control remains unattainable in frontline regions. While the 50% health impact reduction target is achievable, it necessitates substantial adaptation for emergency contexts – a crucial oversight in the current roadmap.”
“The WHO 2025–2040 roadmap on air pollution and health offers a promising and generally realistic strategy, especially in its recognition of air pollution as a driver of health inequity. Its emphasis on protecting vulnerable populations, including women, children, and marginalized communities, marks a critical shift from generic risk reduction to targeted, equity-driven action. The roadmap also highlights the disproportionate burden borne by low- and middle-income countries, including small island developing states where climate vulnerability and limited infrastructure amplify health risks. A key strength is its alignment with climate justice and sustainable development, fostering cross-sectoral responses that prioritize clean household energy, urban air quality, and occupational exposure. Yet, major gaps remain. Operationalizing equity requires not only disaggregated data but also financing mechanisms that directly reach the most affected communities. The roadmap lacks concrete guidance on how to empower local leadership, particularly women and indigenous groups, to design and deliver solutions. For small island states facing compound climate and pollution threats, stronger global financing, adaptation support, and health system resilience measures will be essential. Equity cannot remain an aspiration. It must be embedded in implementation at every level.”
DevelopmentAid: What are the main challenges and opportunities in regulating the digital marketing of formula milk and baby foods, and how can countries strengthen their capacities to protect children’s nutrition and caregivers’ rights?
“Regulating the digital marketing of formula milk and baby foods is vital for child nutrition, particularly for breastfeeding mothers. Challenges include the pervasiveness of promotions on social media, often disguised by influencers or “support groups,” directly targeting pregnant women and new parents. This digital reach allows the circumvention of traditional regulations and the exploitation of parental anxieties with misleading claims and “fake science”. Industry interference also poses a significant barrier to the effective implementation of policy. Opportunities for stronger regulation stem from the recent WHO resolution at the 78th World Health Assembly, which expands the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes to digital platforms. This offers a clear global mandate. Technological solutions, such as AI tools, can now help to monitor and identify non-compliant marketing. Strengthening enforcement capacity, as seen in Pakistan’s Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Act 2023, requires updating national laws to explicitly cover digital marketing, defining “digital marketing”, and holding social media platforms accountable for their role in promoting it. It also necessitates dedicated monitoring bodies, robust enforcement mechanisms with clear penalties, capacity building for regulators, public awareness campaigns, and strict measures to prevent industry conflicts of interest.”
“Ukraine’s wartime experience has exposed significant vulnerabilities in infant nutrition protection systems. Our data shows approximately 30% of displaced mothers discontinued breastfeeding due to formula accessibility – often through marketing disguised as humanitarian aid. While WHO international standards provide a solid foundation, they prove inadequate for digital enforcement. In collaboration with UNICEF, we are piloting innovative solutions: training healthcare workers to identify covert advertising and developing social media monitoring systems. However, these measures alone remain insufficient. We need clear guidelines on formula distribution through humanitarian channels and mechanisms for the rapid removal of non-compliant digital content. The conflict has accelerated this challenge, revealing how conventional regulatory frameworks fail to keep pace with digital realities. Current approaches require substantial modernization to remain effective in crisis situations.”
Combating pollution is a necessary course of action for the short- and medium-term future, and experts in this area will remain in high demand. However, no matter how strong a candidate may be, without appropriate visibility and connections, it is difficult to be noticed. This can change with an Individual Professional Membership, which offers DevelopmentAid members increased profile visibility, helping them to be noticed more quickly by headhunters. In addition, members can connect with organizations and donors working in the field, access the largest job board in the international development sector, search for tenders and grants for individuals, and stay up to date with the latest news, reports, and events in the sector.
