The AIR Network - Action for Interdisciplinary air pollution Research

空气污染是全球主要的健康问题。颗粒物（简称PM）是空气中最不可见的颗粒，来自燃烧燃料，如木炭，木材，汽油，煤油。一个人的每一次呼吸都含有PM，PM是最常见的导致健康不良的空气污染类型。最小的PM被称为细PM或PM2.5 -颗粒直径仅为2.5微米（百万分之2.5米）或更小。这些颗粒非常小，可以被吸入肺部深处。仅在非洲，PM2.5每年就导致67万人过早死亡。除了缩短预期寿命外，它还通过呼吸道和心血管疾病降低生活质量，往往导致人们的复原力和生产力下降。在非正规住区（有时称为贫民窟），这种空气污染物的水平特别高，包括室外和室内：室外是由于住区的位置往往靠近工业区、忙碌和尘土飞扬的道路以及焚烧垃圾的地点，而室内是由于在通风不良的棚屋中使用低质量燃料做饭、照明和取暖。近年来，在内罗毕的非正规住区，人们尝试改善空气污染，减少人们接触空气的机会，包括开展提高认识运动。然而，尚未报告对人民健康产生了重大的积极影响。需要采取新的办法，将不同学科的研究人员和在非正规住区生活和工作的人聚集在一起，讨论这些问题，提高认识，并考虑可能的解决办法。新的空气污染跨学科研究网络将把非正规住区（如Mukuru、Korogocho等）的居民聚集在一起。在内罗毕（肯尼亚），社区组织和英国和非洲的研究人员参加了一个讲习班、每月会议和小型项目，以深入了解i）这些定居点居民面临的空气污染问题和ii）这些问题的原因。该网络的许多成员以前曾与非洲非正规住区的居民合作过，但不是以为该网络建议的跨学科方式。我们将使用从我们所代表的不同学科中提取的各种方法，包括戏剧，街头游戏和参与式研讨会，并将使用通过这些获得的理解来开始与当地居民一起制定干预方案，以改善当地社区成员的健康和福祉。在项目结束时，我们将能够申请资金，以试验和实施干预方案，并在撒哈拉以南非洲地区进行更大规模的研究。我们的合作伙伴和定居点的联系人将通过当地电台，报纸，twitter，戏剧和街头游戏和艺术。我们还将通过专门的项目网站更广泛地传播该项目（包括博客，视频日记，游戏创意和其他资源），项目团队成员的社交媒体账户，并通过会议和论文向学术受众提供信息。与我们所有的活动一样，这些交流成果将与当地居民共同设计，并在适当的情况下翻译成主要的当地语言。

Air pollution is a major health concern around the world. Particulate matter (abbreviated as PM) is the mostly invisible particles in the air that stem from burning fuels such as charcoal, wood, petrol, kerosene. Every breath a person takes contains PM and PM is the type of air pollution that most commonly causes ill health. The smallest PM is known as fine PM or PM2.5 - the particles are only 2.5 microns (2.5 millionths of a metre) or less in diameter. These particles are so small that they can be inhaled deep into the lungs. In Africa alone, PM2.5 causes 670,000 premature deaths annually. As well as reducing life expectancy, it lowers the quality of life through respiratory and cardiovascular diseases often leading to a reduction in the resilience and productivity of people. Levels of this air pollutant are particularly high in informal settlements (sometimes referred to as slums), both outdoor and indoor: outdoor due to the location of settlements which is often near to industrial areas, busy and dusty roads, and sites of litter burning, and indoor due to cooking, lighting and heating with low-quality fuels in badly ventilated huts. Attempts to improve air pollution and reduce people's exposure to it have been introduced in Nairobi's informal settlements in recent years, including awareness raising campaigns. However, significant positive effects on people's health have not yet been reported. New approaches are needed which bring together researchers from different disciplines and people who live and work in the informal settlements to discuss the issues, raise awareness and consider potential solutions. These solutions will integrate scientific, non-scientific and societal understanding and knowledge to ensure relevance and impact.The new Air pollution Interdisciplinary Research (AIR) Network will bring together residents of informal settlements (e.g. Mukuru, Korogocho etc.) in Nairobi (Kenya), community organisations and UK and African researchers in a workshop, monthly meetings and mini-projects to gain a deep understanding of i) air pollution issues faced by residents of these settlements and ii) the causes of these issues. Many of the network members have worked with residents of African informal settlements before, but not in the interdisciplinary manner proposed for this network. We will use a variety of methods drawn from the different disciplines we represent, including theatre, street games and participatory workshops, and will use the understanding gained through these to begin to develop intervention options with local residents that can improve the health and wellbeing of local community members. By the end of the project we will be able to apply for funding to trial and implement intervention options and conduct larger scale studies across Sub-Saharan Africa.Our partners and contacts in the settlements will publicise the project to the residents but also policymakers, stakeholders and researchers using channels such as local radio, newspapers, twitter, theatre and street games and art. We will also communicate about the project more widely through a dedicated project website (incorporating a blog, video-diaries, ideas for games and other resources), project team members' social media accounts and to academic audiences through conferences and papers. Like all our activities, these communication outputs will be co-designed with local residents, and where appropriate translated into the key local languages.