GCRF Clean Environment and Planetary Health in Asia (CEPHA) Network

空气、水和土壤污染是全世界非传染性疾病和死亡的最大环境原因，每年造成约900万人过早死亡。非传染性疾病增加最多的是目前正在经历肥胖症、糖尿病、心血管疾病和癌症流行的低收入和中等收入国家。室外和室内空气污染共造成约700万人死亡，主要发生在亚洲发展中国家，特别是印度和中国，环境污染影响到社会中的每一个人，对生活质量、生产力和学校成绩造成沉重负担。在污染环境中生活和工作的弱势群体，包括妇女和儿童，面临的风险更大，无法避免接触污染。来自相同来源的温室气体（例如机动运输、废物燃烧）对气候产生影响，增加了洪水和热浪等极端天气事件的风险。亚洲国家的城市化进程迅速且不可持续，由于土地使用规划效率低下、交通和住房基础设施设计不当，使其人口陷入污染行为。环境污染是发展的一大障碍，对贫困社区（例如生活在非正规住区的人）和弱势群体（例如患有呼吸道疾病的人）的影响尤为严重。长期以来，繁荣与环境之间的关系一直被视为一种权衡。解决污染问题被认为是经济增长的障碍。越来越多的证据表明，可持续发展不仅有助于改善健康和环境，而且有助于改善经济。推动清洁环境和低碳发展，为实现多种社会效益提供了一个令人信服的机会：改善健康和环境，创新并提高竞争力。为了应对亚洲环境污染和非传染性疾病带来的巨大发展挑战，并利用可持续发展带来的机遇，我们建议建立亚洲清洁环境和行星健康参与网络（CEPHA）：通过跨学科和跨部门的深入参与来促进技术和社会创新，这将刺激商业模式的变革，政府政策和公共卫生实践。网络成果将包括长期合作伙伴关系、加强知识交流和能力建设，以及共同创建项目和资源，重点关注改善环境、脱碳经济和减轻亚洲非传染性疾病负担等挑战的可行解决方案。我们将确定并推广最有可能减少不同来源污染的最佳实践（交通、家庭能源、废物）和相关非传染性疾病，特别是弱势群体（儿童、妇女、非正规工人）的非传染性疾病。这将通过与关键利益攸关方和社区的深入接触、提高认识、能力建设以及为关键领域的研究和创新创造收入来实现。该网络将为亚洲低收入和中等收入国家与英国之间的跨部门合作和知识转移创造长期机会。我们组建了一支由研究人员、决策者、公共卫生从业人员、工业界和第三部门组成的优秀、平衡和综合的团队，以应对这一挑战。重要的是，该网络将向新成员开放，旨在培养一代人脉广泛的本地领军人物，使亚洲能够向更清洁、更可持续的环境和更好的健康过渡。

Pollution of the air, water and soil is the largest environmental cause of non-communicable disease and death worldwide, responsible for around 9 million premature deaths annually. The greatest increases in non-communicable diseases are seen in low- and middle-income countries now experiencing epidemics of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Outdoor and indoor air pollution combined account for around 7 million of these deaths, predominantly in developing countries of Asia, particularly India and China.Environmental pollution affects everyone in society creating a heavy burden on quality of life, productivity and school performance. The underprivileged, including female and children, living and working in polluted environments are more at risk and unable to avoid exposure. Greenhouse gases emitted from the same sources (e.g. motorised transport, waste burning) have an impact on climate, increasing the risk of extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves. Asian countries are urbanising rapidly and unsustainably, locking their populations in polluting behaviours through inefficient land use planning and poorly designed transport and housing infrastructure.Environmental pollution is a drain on development, disproportionately affecting underprivileged communities, for example those living in informal settlements, and vulnerable individuals, for example those with respiratory illness. For too long the relationship between prosperity and environment has been seen as a trade-off. Tackling pollution was considered a handicap to economic growth. Growing evidence now shows sustainable development can help improve not only health and the environment, but also the economy. The drive towards cleaner environments and low carbon development, provides a compelling opportunity to realise multiple societal benefits: to improve health and the environment, innovate and become more competitive.To address the huge development challenge of environmental pollution and non-communicable diseases in Asia, and harness opportunities provided by sustainable development, we propose the engagement network on Clean Environment and Planetary Health in Asia (CEPHA): to catalyse technological and societal innovation through deep engagement across disciplines and sectors that will stimulate transformative changes to business models, government policies and public health practice in Asia. Network outcomes will include long-lasting partnerships, enhanced knowledge exchange and capacity building, and co-creation of projects and resources focusing on actionable solutions to the challenges of improving the environment, decarbonising the economy, and reducing the burden on non-communicable diseases in Asia.We will identify and promote best practice that has the greatest potential to reduce pollution from different sources (transport, household energy, waste) and related non-communicable diseases, particularly in vulnerable groups (children, female, informal workers). This will be achieved through deep engagement with key stakeholders and communities, awareness raising, capacity building, and generation of income for research and innovation in key areas. The network will create long-term opportunities for inter-sectoral collaboration and knowledge transfer between and within low and middle-income countries in Asia and the UK. We have assembled an outstanding, well-balanced and integrated team of researchers, policy makers, public health practitioners, industry and the third sector to address this challenge. Importantly, the network will be open to new members and aim to develop a generation of well-connected local champions that will enable the transition to cleaner, more sustainable environments and better health in Asia.