GCRF Clean Environment and Planetary Health in Asia (CEPHA) Network

Pollution of the air, water and soil is the largest environmental cause of non-communicable disease and death worldwide, responsible for around 9 million premature deaths annually. The greatest increases in non-communicable diseases are seen in low- and middle-income countries now experiencing epidemics of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Outdoor and indoor air pollution combined account for around 7 million of these deaths, predominantly in developing countries of Asia, particularly India and China.
Environmental pollution affects everyone in society creating a heavy burden on quality of life, productivity and school performance. The underprivileged, including female and children, living and working in polluted environments are more at risk and unable to avoid exposure. Greenhouse gases emitted from the same sources (e.g. motorised transport, waste burning) have an impact on climate, increasing the risk of extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves. Asian countries are urbanising rapidly and unsustainably, locking their populations in polluting behaviours through inefficient land use planning and poorly designed transport and housing infrastructure.
Environmental pollution is a drain on development, disproportionately affecting underprivileged communities, for example those living in informal settlements, and vulnerable individuals, for example those with respiratory illness. For too long the relationship between prosperity and environment has been seen as a trade-off. Tackling pollution was considered a handicap to economic growth. Growing evidence now shows sustainable development can help improve not only health and the environment, but also the economy. The drive towards cleaner environments and low carbon development, provides a compelling opportunity to realise multiple societal benefits: to improve health and the environment, innovate and become more competitive.
To address the huge development challenge of environmental pollution and non-communicable diseases in Asia, and harness opportunities provided by sustainable development, we propose the engagement network on Clean Environment and Planetary Health in Asia (CEPHA): to catalyse technological and societal innovation through deep engagement across disciplines and sectors that will stimulate transformative changes to business models, government policies and public health practice in Asia. Network outcomes will include long-lasting partnerships, enhanced knowledge exchange and capacity building, and co-creation of projects and resources focusing on actionable solutions to the challenges of improving the environment, decarbonising the economy, and reducing the burden on non-communicable diseases in Asia.
We will identify and promote best practice that has the greatest potential to reduce pollution from different sources (transport, household energy, waste) and related non-communicable diseases, particularly in vulnerable groups (children, female, informal workers). This will be achieved through deep engagement with key stakeholders and communities, awareness raising, capacity building, and generation of income for research and innovation in key areas.
The network will create long-term opportunities for inter-sectoral collaboration and knowledge transfer between and within low and middle-income countries in Asia and the UK. We have assembled an outstanding, well-balanced and integrated team of researchers, policy makers, public health practitioners, industry and the third sector to address this challenge. Importantly, the network will be open to new members and aim to develop a generation of well-connected local champions that will enable the transition to cleaner, more sustainable environments and better health in Asia.

Who will benefit from this network?
Over 95% of people worldwide live in places where air pollution is over the World Health Organization's guidelines, with exposures to harmful pollutants being the highest in fast growing Asian cities. GCRF Clean Environment & Planetary Health (CEPHA) Network will address the intractable challenge of environmental pollution, compounded by poverty, inequalities, and climate change in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia. The network will focus on India, China, Thailand, and Malaysia, which will directly benefit from enhanced engagement between researchers, regulators, industry, health professionals, and local communities to tackle environmental pollution and reduce their burden on non-communicable diseases. The primary beneficiaries of this network are:
Citizens living in these polluted environments. Health benefits will be realised from lowered emissions from the most polluting sectors (e.g. transport, industry, waste), and reduced personal exposure. Benefits will be proportionately greater among more disadvantaged people; those in informal settlements and those suffering from respiratory illness, and young children who currently cannot realise their full lung growth potential as they live in very polluted environments. Benefits will reach beyond these 4 countries which will act as exemplars in Asia, potentially benefiting the entire region.
Decision Makers from Local Government, Environmental Protection Agencies, who will be fully engaged in identifying evidence gaps and co-developing actionable solutions that have the greatest potential to protect the environment and provide multiple health and economic co-benefits.
The Health Sector, who are at the receiving end of the emerging epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Asia exacerbated by environmental pollution and climate change.
Industry and business, who will co-develop innovative technologies and services for environmental and health protection.
Wider Stakeholders, such as service providers, the private and third sectors, who are currently hampered by high pollution levels, traffic congestion, noise, road accidents, all related to the fundamental problem of unsustainable development.
The Research Community at all career stages involved in this network, including physical/social scientists, engineers, and public and environmental health researchers.
How might they benefit from this research?
The population of the core CEPHA countries will greatly benefit from clean air initiatives and more sustainable, low carbon development. Cleaner air (indoor & outdoor) will directly improve people's health, and reduce chronic illness/NCDs, e.g. acute asthma and other lung and heart, and improve quality of life and life expectancy.
Employers, service providers, and businesses will benefit from improved productivity and reductions in lost days due to illness associated with poor air quality. Children and students will benefit from improved educational performance which is linked to healthier environments. The entire population in these LMICs and beyond will benefit by addressing the upstream causes of environmental pollution, through better urban planning, cleaner technologies, and more sustainable patterns of production and consumption.
Females, the very young and elderly people in particular will greatly benefit from improved indoor air quality from using cleaner household fuels and cooking technologies, as they typically spend more time indoors. We will translate and disseminate findings to diverse audiences using a range of approaches/languages, to reach citizens with varying literacy skills, particularly those in informal settlements.
Researchers and practitioners in Asia and UK will benefit from shared learning, training, secondments, workshops, eLearning, eNetworking, and opportunities to publish, attend international conferences, build collaborations and attract funding to progress careers and maximise impact.