Air quality: a briefing for directors of public health

Local authorities have a central role in achieving improvements in air quality; their local knowledge and interaction with the communities that they serve mean that they know the issues on the ground in detail. They are best placed to decide and work with partners to implement the appropriate solutions in regards to local transport, smoke control, planning and public health.

Directors of Public Health have a crucial role to play as leaders and influencers, shaping how local approaches can help clean up air in their area most effectively. This briefing provides the information to help Directors of Public Health consider the appropriate public health response to air pollution in their area. There is extensive evidence about the health impacts of air pollution, growing media and public interest and an indicator on mortality attributed to particulate matter air pollution in the Public Health Outcomes Framework.