WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE

WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION

REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ

BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE

ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ

ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО

EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH

29th meeting of the Joint Convention/WHO Task Force on the Health Aspects of Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution

EUCDE2422605/2.1/2

Bonn, Germany (virtual meeting) 28–29 April 2026

17 March 2026

Scope and purpose

Evidence of the health effects of air pollution drives policies to improve air quality. This is

reflected in global policy documents, such as the World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on

air pollution and health, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the WHO Global Strategy on

Health, Environment and Climate Change. The recognition of air pollution as a risk factor for

noncommunicable diseases was reconfirmed in the resolution of the United Nations General

Assembly in 2025. The WHA77 resolution on climate change and health highlights the

worsening of air quality driven by climate change and its health impacts. An updated roadmap

for an enhanced global response to the adverse health effects of air pollution was adopted at

WHA78 in 2025. In the WHO European Region, the Declaration of the Seventh Ministerial

Conference on Environment and Health in Budapest, Hungary in 2023, prioritizes actions to

improve air quality, including the gradual adoption of stricter air quality standards, to protect

health. The Second WHO European Programme of Work, adopted in 2025, elevates air quality

as a key public health policy domain, linking improvements in air quality to noncommunicable

diseases prevention and climate mitigation action with health co-benefits.

The Task Force on the Health Aspects of Air Pollution supports the work of the United Nations

Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution.

It provides evidence-informed assessment of the risks to health posed by air pollution and

attribution of such risks to long-range transport of air pollution.

The 29th meeting of the Task Force on Health will gather representatives of the Parties to the

Convention as well as invited experts and stakeholders. The meeting will provide an opportunity

to present key findings from the recently published report on updated methods on health risk

assessment of air pollution - HRAPIE-2 (Update of health risks of air pollution in Europe), and

the EMAPEC (Estimating the morbidity of air pollution and its economic costs) project. Progress

in research on black carbon and the new WHO report on health-based air quality indexes (AQIs)

will be presented. Examples of country experiences will be shared, as well as updates on the

WHO tools (AirQ+ and CLIMAQ-H) and on the relevant regional policies and processes. In

addition, current activities under the 2026-2027 workplan of the Task Force on Health will be

discussed.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE

WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION

REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ

BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE

ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ

ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО

EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH

29th meeting of the Joint Convention/WHO Task Force on the Health Aspects of Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution

EUCDE2422605-2.1/3

Bonn, Germany (virtual meeting) 28–29 April 2026

17 March 2026

Provisional agenda

1. Opening, introduction of participants, appointment of rapporteur

2. Approval of agenda and programme

3. Updates in methods for health risk assessment of air pollution

4. Progress in research on black carbon and health

5. Recent developments on air quality indexes

6. Tools on air quality and health

7. Sharing experiences from the Parties

8. International policies and processes

9. Any other business