WHO joins Lovexair and 'Breathe, Mom' to defend our right to breathe clean air
Dr Maria Neira, representing the WHO, inaugurated a panel of experts to raise awareness about air pollution
The message of the documentary 'breathe mom' continues to attract attention and raise awareness about the impact of air quality on our health.
It has already reached audiences at numerous festivals in Spain and is already on the poster for festival screenings in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Very recently the film was presented in Mexico City, within the framework of the DocsMx International Film Festival, where its screening took place and a debate with experts, organised by the Lovexair Foundation, under the motto: Together for our right to breathe clean air.
Special guest
The testimony of the film's director, Meri Collazos, patient representatives, civic organizations defending the health of our children and health professionals was joined by a message, sent expressly for the occasion, from the World Health Organization.
La Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health and Environment at WHO, to whom some sequences of the documentary are also dedicated, opened the panel with a clear call to raise awareness about the serious effects that this "invisible killer" can have on the health of the most vulnerable people.
It was an honour for our Foundation to receive this message and a source of satisfaction for the support it represents for our work.
Given the value of her words, we leave you with Dr. Neira's video (if you prefer to read it, you can find the transcription below).
Thanks to Dr Neira and her entire team for their tireless work to raise awareness about everyone's right to breathe clean air:
Message from Dr. Maria Neira
“No one will doubt that breathing is critical and necessary for human life.
And yet, anthropological activities and some natural sources are seriously threatening the quality of the air we breathe and are also causing major health problems.
Globally, air pollution is responsible for nearly 7 million deaths each year.
This makes it one of the main risk factors for chronic diseases, including respiratory diseases and lung cancer.
But also, and this is important to know, it is not just respiratory diseases, but also strokes and heart attacks.
And this is a true fact, unfortunately. Air pollution is an invisible threat to everyone.
Air pollution is made up of different solid particles and gases. One of the best known, which you have probably heard of, is fine particulate matter or so-called PM 2.5.
Air pollution enters our bodies through inhalation through our nose. We breathe in that pollution. And once it reaches our lungs, certain air pollutants, especially those that are much smaller, can pass into our bloodstream and cause damage to all parts of our body.
In addition, we have seen that they can also reach the placenta and harm the fetus, which has not even had contact with the outside air.
7 million premature deaths a year. 7 million premature deaths a year and they still don't make headlines every day.
We therefore need to constantly raise awareness among communities, individuals, families and children on whom the devastating impacts of air pollution have an even more negative effect.
Documentaries like this one, which reach a wide audience, are a key element in supporting our efforts for clean air and protecting our health and the planet.
Thank you, thank you for listening, for watching and, above all, above all, for taking joint action against this invisible but deadly killer.”
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