A new regional declaration is calling for urgent and coordinated action to reduce air pollution and protect public health across Latin America and the Caribbean. Emerging from the second WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in March 2025, the Santiago de Chile Declaration seeks to usher in a new era of cooperation by linking health policy more closely with environmental justice. It positions clean air as a fundamental human right and emphasizes that tackling air pollution is essential to reducing preventable disease and premature death in the region.
The declaration was advanced during the Latin American Conference on Air Quality and Health held in Santiago, Chile, and reflects a shared regional vision that places health at the center of environmental and development policies. It highlights air pollution as a major driver of noncommunicable diseases and stresses that its impacts fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations already affected by social and environmental inequalities. Initiated by the Colegio Médico de Chile and the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, and endorsed by the Pan American Health Organization with support from the World Health Organization and other partners, the declaration translates scientific evidence into a framework for coordinated regional action.
The initiative promotes integrating environmental health into primary healthcare systems, strengthening air quality monitoring, and ensuring evidence-based and participatory policymaking across sectors. It also calls for stronger capacity building, improved transparency and access to environmental and health data, and the establishment of a Latin American Network on Air Quality and Health to connect experts, policymakers, academia, and civil society. Special attention is given to high-altitude Andean cities, where geographic and atmospheric conditions can intensify pollution-related health risks.
The declaration aligns strategically with broader climate and health efforts in the region, including initiatives presented at COP30 and collaboration through the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health. A dedicated coordination group has been established to promote implementation, mobilize stakeholders, monitor progress, and maintain ongoing dialogue. In parallel, progress has been made on developing a Regional Action Plan on Air Quality and Health for Latin America and the Caribbean for 2026–2031, aimed at strengthening health sector leadership, improving data systems, advancing integrated policies, and securing sustainable financing.
Overall, the Santiago de Chile Declaration reinforces the urgency of addressing air pollution as both a public health crisis and an issue of environmental justice. By encouraging collective regional action and aligning with global targets to significantly reduce pollution-related mortality, it seeks to translate international commitments into tangible improvements in health, equity, and environmental sustainability.
