Clean Air

India India is one of the world’s most polluted countries and Delhi is the most polluted capital city. Air pollution causes one in eight deaths. We work with government, businesses and the public to reach India’s clean air goals. Air pollution in India India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and air pollution is one of the challenges associated with this growth and development.
Of the world’s 30 cities with the worst air pollution, 21 are in India. The capital, New Delhi, has the poorest air quality among capital cities globally. Concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5) in New Delhi are nearly 10 times higher than the World Health Organization guidelines.
Thermal power plants, pollution from vehicles, industrial emissions, and the burning of wood and dirty fuels for cooking and heating are some of the main causes of air pollution in India.
The effects are devastating. Air pollution is a silent killer, causing more than 2 million deaths a year in India. It also leads to health problems like respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
2m early deaths every year in India $95bn impact of dirty air to the Indian economy If India had achieved safe air quality levels in 2019, its GDP would have increased by $95 billion. Read the full economic analysis from Dalberg. This is because cleaner air would result in lower rates of absenteeism from work, higher productivity at work, higher consumer footfall and fewer premature deaths.
Public awareness of air pollution as a problem is on the rise, especially in Delhi where 85% support stricter air quality laws and enforcement of policies. See the full 2020 YouGov air pollution and Covid-19 survey results.
India has launched an ambitious National Clean Air Program to reduce particulate matter pollution by 30% by 2024. Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has collaborated with the Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change [and others], supported by Clean Air Fund, to enable real time measures to mitigate and plug pollution sources. Prof S.N. Tripathi –Expert member of the National Clean Air Program, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change Tackling India’s air pollution crisis Clean Air Fund’s work in India is relatively new and we will continue to build our partnerships as our grant portfolio grows. We work with government and business, and at every level of society, to help reach India’s clean air goals.

Our work includes:
Supporting air quality monitoring and management initiatives Building capacity on air quality data collection (including concentrations and impact) Facilitating dialogue and information sharing among the air quality movement. Engaging the community is also crucial to bringing about cleaner air. Our grant to Health Care Without Harm is building a network of health workers who can act as clean air champions for patients, policy makers and the wider public.
In 2021 we supported the Sesame Workshop India Trust to survey 10,000 children from low resource communities in Delhi about their environmental concerns. The children had the opportunity to bring their concerns to their local leaders.
Businesses have a significant role to play in tackling the problem too. The India CEO Forum for Clean Air is growing, with 70 members signed up in the first year. Two major Indian businesses, Wipro and Mahindra Group, are both in the Clean Air Alliance, launched in partnership with the World Economic Forum in 2021.
An example of our work in India: Health Care Without Harm Play: Partner Spotlight - India (Health Care Without Harm) Clean Air Fund has been instrumental in empowering healthcare professionals and amplifying the health voices in the clean air movement. It is a privilege to be a partner and work together towards ensuring clean and healthy air for humankind.

Health and air pollution Air pollution is a global public health problem. Every year, millions of adults and children die prematurely from poor air quality. On this page Effects of air pollution on health Millions die from air pollution each year Clean air leads to healthier lives Our work on health and air pollution Healthcare professionals tackling air pollution Effects of air pollution on health Air pollution is one of the biggest public health issues we face globally, and it’s getting worse.
Most of the world’s population live in places that exceed safe levels of air pollution, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality guideline limits.
Invisible particles in the air we breathe enter our bloodstream, penetrating cells and organs in our bodies – including our lungs, heart and brain. This leads to millions suffering with diseases like asthma, respiratory diseases, strokes, heart attacks, cancer, and dementia, as well as low birth weight, stillbirths and miscarriages.
Babies, children, older people and those with existing health conditions are most severely affected by air contaminants. 9 out of 10 deaths attributed to outdoor air pollution are in low- and middle-income countries, according to the WHO.
Millions die from air pollution each year 8.1 million premature deaths annually are attributed to air pollution – that is more than tobacco smoking. It’s the second leading cause of premature deaths worldwide, primarily due to non-communicable diseases. Air pollution is also the second biggest cause of death of children under five, after malnutrition.
People who breathe polluted air have a greater risk of developing respiratory diseases, like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Poor air quality also contributes to the spread and severity of infectious diseases, like pneumonia and COVID-19.
Air pollution is one the most urgent and deadly global challenges. And the problem is getting worse. By 2060, air pollution could cause up to 9 million early deaths each year. The OECD and World Bank project the annual welfare costs associated with these premature deaths will cost the global economy $18–25 trillion by 2060.
But there is a clear solution that will improve the health of people, the planet and the economy.
It is unacceptable to still have 7 million preventable deaths and countless preventable lost years of good health due to air pollution. That’s what we’re saying when we look at the mountain of air pollution data, evidence, and solutions available. Yet too many investments are still being sunk into a polluted environment rather than in clean, healthy air. Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director of Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health Clean air leads to healthier lives Clean air measures have a positive impact on public health almost immediately, demonstrated by reduced numbers of hospitalisations, according to the American Thoracic Society. By improving air quality:
fewer people will develop chronic health conditions, such as asthma, lung cancer, or high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease, stroke and dementia people who live with chronic conditions, especially lung conditions such as tuberculosis, will suffer fewer symptoms and enjoy better quality of life fewer people will suffer from acute illnesses, such as pneumonia or COVID-19 fewer people will go to hospital, reducing pressure on health services and health workers the number of premature births and deaths of babies and young children due to air pollution will decrease. Funding for air quality initiatives does not match the severity of the problem. As outlined in The State of Global Air Quality Funding, less than 1% of official development funding, and less than 0.1% of philanthropic foundation funding, is spent on air quality projects. Given the huge human impact of air pollution, there is an urgent need and opportunity for health funders to invest in air quality.
Our work on health and air pollution We partner with organisations around the world to mobilise the health community and advocate for clean air as a global health priority. We work with a range of partners, from intergovernmental institutions like the WHO, to national organisations like Kintampo Health Research Centre.
We fund The State of Global Air, a comprehensive analysis of air quality data and health impacts for 200 countries, by the Health Effects Institute in collaboration with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease initiative. We are also supporting the WHO’s second ever global conference on air pollution and health in Cartagena, Colombia in March 2025.
The Global Climate & Health Alliance’s Healthy NDCs Scorecard is a comprehensive assessment of governments’ national climate commitments that recognise the health impacts of air pollution. This resource holds governments to account for reaching the Paris Agreement climate targets, whilst maximising health benefits domestically.
We also work with global organisations representing healthcare practitioners, including respiratory disease (European Lung Foundation, European Respiratory Society), oncology (Union for International Cancer Control), cardiology (World Heart Federation) and paediatrics (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and paediatric societies in South Africa, Nigeria and Nepal).
Resources on health and air quality See reports, research and data on the impact of air pollution on public health and strategies for action from the health organisations supported by Clean Air Fund. View
Healthcare professionals tackling air pollution From restrictions on tobacco to increasing access to HIV medication, the healthcare community has a history of effective action on major public health issues. Many healthcare providers witness first hand the harmful effects of air pollution on patients.
Healthcare providers play an important role in protect patients and advocating for their health. They give information to patients about risks and reducing exposure to air pollution. In Bulgaria, Air for Health mobilises health professionals across the country to campaign for clean air in Europe’s most polluted country. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s Clean Air Community empowers paediatricians in the UK and internationally as advocates for clean air, providing knowledge and skills to raise awareness about air pollution’s impact on child health.

Children and air pollution Air quality matters from the very beginning of life. Pollution starts to harm fetuses from conception and increases the risk of premature birth and miscarriage. Clean air is especially critical during childhood. Yet over 90% of children under the age of 15 breathe air so polluted that it jeopardises their future development. On this page Harming the most vulnerable Dirty air can disrupt children’s education Cleaner air improves health and wellbeing Harming the most vulnerable Children breathe faster than adults and so take in more dirty air. Toddlers and young children in pushchairs are exposed to the brunt of exhaust fumes because they’re lower to the ground.
This early exposure to air pollution can have lifelong effects on a child’s life such as:
stunted lung growth and brain development delay, asthma, psychological and behaviour problems, anxiety and depression. Lower-income countries suffer some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world. Poor nutrition and healthcare in these countries can make children even more vulnerable to health problems from dirty air.
Dirty air can disrupt children’s education Across the world, studies have found unhealthy levels of pollution near schools. Pollution can affect school attendance and cause attention problems.
In heavily polluted countries, schools can close completely as a result of dirty air. Over 400 schools closed for several days in Bangkok in 2019 and 2020 due to severe smog. Traffic exhaust, construction, manufacturing and burning crops caused the harmful pollution levels.
Researchers at the University of Manchester modelled how cleaner air could affect memory. They found that cleaner air could improve a child’s working memory by 6%, equivalent to four extra weeks of learning per year.
Bad air days also prevent children from outdoor activities and playing outside with their friends. They miss out on the physical, social and emotional benefits that these early experiences bring. In the long term, the effect of dirty air on children’s ability to learn and play can impact their future wellbeing and even earning potential.
Cleaner air improves health and wellbeing To grow, learn and fulfil their potential, children need to breathe clean air. Improving air quality is one of the most effective ways to protect children’s health and wellbeing.
Investing in clean air:

protects babies from conception, prevents childhood illnesses and conditions like asthma that result from dirty air, supports children’s healthy development, enabling them to learn and play outside. In 2021, we partnered with Campaign Collective to raise awareness of air pollution’s harmful impact on children. The campaign, ‘Our Children’s Air’, collected powerful stories from parents around the world. A group of those parents, including Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, met the UK’s COP26 President to ask for an end to fossil fuel subsidies. Find out more about Our Children’s Air.
Small investments that protect where children learn and play can return lifelong benefits. A study, funded by the FIA Foundation and Bloomberg, measured the impact of closing streets when children walk to and from school in London. Closing streets resulted in a 23% reduction in harmful nitrogen dioxide. Children breathed cleaner air and less traffic created a safer environment for walking and cycling to school.
The reality is that filthy air is killing millions of people around the world every year. My daughter’s case has helped raise awareness of the devastating impact of air pollution on individuals’ health, as well as their families and communities. Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah – Founder, Director and Trustee of the Ella Roberta Family Foundation Our work on children, babies and air pollution We believe that everyone should breathe clean air and we work hard with partners to achieve this goal.
In Delhi, our partner Sesame India mobilised children from four neighbourhoods to demand action on clean air. This resulted in a commitment from councillors to tackle air pollution. In Smilyan, Bulgaria, our partners organised a children’s theatre show to promote recycling instead of open waste burning.
UNICEF identified good air quality as critical for children’s development in 2015, yet funding remains sparse. Less than 1% of total official development and foundation funding is spent on tackling air pollution. We need more children-focused foundations to lend their expertise and resources to cleaning up our air.