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World Health Day Monday, 7 April 2003, 2:17 pm
Press Release: Auckland Regional Public Health Service
World Health Day
A joint statement from the Auckland
Regional Public Health Service, Auckland Regional Council and the University of Auckland Department of
Paediatrics.
Clearing the Air for Children
Today is
World Health Day. This year the theme is Healthy
Environments for Children.
Children need clean air.
Auckland suffers from air pollution levels that at times
exceed the World Health Organisation standards. An invisible
cloud of air pollution surrounds and harms people in
Auckland. Children are more vulnerable to the effects of air
pollution than most adults.
The two periods of life of
fastest growth are infancy and adolescence. There is
international evidence that these two age groups are at
special risk to harm from breathing in polluted air. Babies
and toddlers are especially vulnerable because their immune
system is still developing and less able to protect them.
Children living near high traffic areas have higher rates of
chronic cough and asthma and are more likely to be admitted
to hospital with respiratory problems. Most worrying of all
is the evidence that suggests that babies in the first year
of life are more likely to die from respiratory diseases if
air pollution exposure is high, and may even be harmed
before birth by polluted air breathed by their mothers.
Although children are especially vulnerable to
environmental hazards, much more research has been done on
the effects of air pollution on adults. A 2002 report
commissioned by the Ministry of Transport and called Health
Effects due to Motor Vehicle Air Pollution in New Zealand,
found that about 250 adults aged 30 years and over in the
Auckland region die prematurely each year because of the
effects of air pollution. Although we do not know how many
children and young people in New Zealand die early or have
their health damaged from air pollution, we have enough
concern to call for action to reduce vehicle pollution now.
Air pollution is mostly invisible. Many people do not
realise the severity of the problem. ARC has a decade of
data about air quality. Results from inner city streets show
levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide or tiny
particulates (called PM10 and PM2.5) exceeded World Health
Organisation standards on 48 days in 2001 and on 35 days in
2002.
Around 80 percent of all air pollution in the
Auckland region comes from motor vehicles – every day motor
vehicles put about 500 tonnes of toxins into the air. There
are many schools and pre-school centres near major roads and
motorways in the Auckland region.
Much of the air
pollution from vehicles is from poorly maintained vehicles,
which can release ten times the amount of pollution as well
maintained vehicles. Other industrialised countries have
compulsory vehicle emission tests.

New Zealand
has worse petrol and diesel standards than most
industrialised countries and many developing countries. The
Government and oil industry have agreed to improve the
situation – but at a slower rate than those countries.
Cheaper low quality fuel means poorer health for many
children and adults – and more expensive health services.
There are solutions. The removal of lead from petrol in
1996 reduced lead levels in our atmosphere. Auckland is
getting cleaner diesel fuel after a campaign instigated by
the ARC. Other air pollutants that affect the health of our
children can be reduced with action from adults, families,
businesses, and local and central government.
For our
children’s health, let us take action now.
We recommend
the following actions:
People of the Auckland region Tune
your vehicles regularly. Use cars less often – walk, cycle,
or use public transport instead. Support your school
starting a walking school bus. All organisations Investigate ways of reducing vehicle emissions in your fleet
(for example, join the Green Fleet scheme). Use fleet
vehicles efficiently. Include bicycles in your vehicle
fleet. Encourage staff to walk, cycle, use public transport,
or telework sometimes instead of driving at peak times. Ask
your fuel supplier to supply cleaner fuel for your
fleet.
Motor and fuel industries Undertake to only sell
vehicles, which meet high international emission standards.
Only import vehicles that have functional catalytic
converters and diesel exhaust filters. Only supply and
import fuel that reaches high international standards, such
as the European Union standard.
Local government Support
and improve public transport. Support and develop safe
walking and cycling networks.
Central government Enforce
the 10 second rule (fines for vehicles emitting smoke from
their exhaust for more than 10 seconds). Move to higher
standards of fuel more quickly than currently planned.
Introduce exhaust emission standards and compulsory checks
as part of Warrant of Fitness testing. Introduce emission
standards entry regulation for new and used vehicle imports.
Require all imported vehicles to have functional catalytic
converters and diesel exhaust filters.

Background
Information
Health effects due to motor vehicle air
pollution in New Zealand, report to Ministry of Transport,
March 2002.
This report estimated that about 400 people
aged 30 and over die prematurely each year from exposure to
microscopic particles from vehicle emissions. By comparison,
in 2001, 454 people died from road accidents, of whom 243
were aged 30 years and over. The effects of air pollution
include coughing, wheezing, reduced lung function, lung
cancer,cheap oakleys, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, and
asthma. The study did not look at increases in asthma
attacks, other illnesses, family doctor visits, and hospital
admissions. The authors of the report are GW Fisher, KA
Rolfe, T Kjellstrom, A Woodward, S Hales, AP Sturman, S
Kingham, J Petersen, R Shrestha, and D King.
The Ministry
of Transport commissioned the report. It is available at
World
Health Day
On April 7 each year the world celebrates World
Health Day when thousands of events mark the importance of
health for productive and happy lives. This year, the theme
is Healthy Environments for Children. The Director General
of the World Health Organisation, Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland,
says: The biggest threats to children’s health lurk in the
very places that should be safest – home, school and
community. Every year over 5 million children ages 0 to 14
die, mainly in the developing world, from diseases related
to their environments - the places where they live, learn
and play. These diseases include diarrhoea, malaria as well
as other vector-borne diseases, acute respiratory infections
and unintentional injuries (accidents).
These deaths can
be prevented. We know what to do. Strategies have been
developed to combat these threats to children’s health. They
need to be implemented on a global and national scale. So
this year’s World Health Day is dedicated to ensuring
Healthy Environments for Children.
We all need to do more
to tackle environmental risks to children’s health. As you
will see in this brochure, the burden of disease from
environment-related diseases is great and falls
disproportionately on children. In September 2002, WHO
launched the Healthy Environments for Children Initiative.
. . . Every child has the right to grow up in a healthy
home, school and community. The future development of our
children – and of their world – depends on their enjoying
good health now. (World Health Day Brochure,
Introduction).
More information is available at