Announcement

It is our pleasure to invite you to the lecture on

“Air pollution and health risks: connecting public health and patient health”.

The lecturer is Dr. Molini Patel, Chief Air Pollution Advisor, Bureau of Medical Services, U.S. Department of State. The lecture will be held onTuesday, 17 April, 2018 from 14.00 P.M. to 16.00 P.M. at the Faculty of Medicine University of Sarajevo,Amphitheatre “Akademik Seid Huković” (First floor, Main Faculty Building, Čekaluša 90).

Air pollution and health risks: connecting public health and patient health

A large body of scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that air pollution exposure can cause adverse health effects. Many different pollutants are linked to health risks, including particulate matter and gases such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide. The nature of evidence varies among specific pollutants. Particulate matter is strongly linked to cardiovascular health risks, premature mortality, and lung cancer, and ozone and nitrogen dioxide are strongly linked to respiratory health risks, in particular, worsening of asthma symptoms. The science also shows that certain groups in the population have increased risk for air pollution-related health effects, for example, children, older adults, and people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular disease. In the United States, the science on air pollution and health risks and at-risk populations forms the basis for measures to protect public health. These include the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead. These also include the Air Quality Index, a tool to communicate to the public how clean or polluted the air is and recommend measures people can take to reduce air pollution exposures. In recent years, there has been increasing awareness that health care providers have an important role in helping patients reduce air pollution-related health risks. Many resources have been developed for health care providers from education on air pollution-related health risks to tools to help patients manage triggers of conditions such as asthma exacerbation or acute cardiovascular events.

These tools for health care providers help connect measures to protect public health with measures to protect individual health.

Molini Patel, PhD, MPH, Chief Air Pollution Advisor, Bureau of Medical Services, U.S. Department of State

Dr. Molini Patel is Chief Air Pollution Advisor in the U.S. Department of States’ Bureau of Medical Services. She directs activities in characterizing air quality at U.S. diplomatic posts, evaluating air pollution-related health risks, and developing measures to reduce air pollution exposures and risks.  Dr. Patel previously was an epidemiologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Assessment for 8 years, working on the reviews of the National Ambient Air Standards and developing systematic processes for determining cause-effect relationships between air pollution and health effects.  Dr. Molini Patel has extensive research experience in air pollution and health effects, particularly in children.  She received her Master in Public Health from Yale University and her Doctor of Philosophy from Columbia University.