Air quality and health impacts in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: an eye on COVID-19
WHO Regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Mazen Malkawi, Basel Al-Yousfi, Ahmed Mandil
Abstract
Air quality is intimately linked to human activities, climate, atmosphere and ecosystems. Many of the anthropogenic contributors to air pollution are also sources of greenhouse gases including CO2 and other short-lived climate pollutants, such as Ozone and black carbon, which greatly contribute to the climate change phenomenon and its adverse effects on human health. Unfortunately, fragile and dry ecosystems prevailing in most of our countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region may be implicated for exacerbation of this air pollution and climate change dilemma even more severely.
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)2019-20 coronavirus outbreakSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Mediterranean climateGeographyBetacoronavirusPandemicMedicineEnvironmental healthVirologyInternal medicineArchaeologyDiseaseOutbreakInfectious disease (medical specialty)Air Quality and Health ImpactsGlobal Health Care IssuesClimate Change and Health Impacts