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

Visiting lecturer, Dr. Molini Patel, Chief Air Pollution Advisor in the U.S. Department of States’ Bureau of Medical Service, delivered a presentation on “Air pollution and health risks: connecting public health and patient health” at the Faculty of Medicine University of Sarajevo on 17 April 2018. The lecture was attended by students, professors and assistants of the Faculty. Dr. Pate, in her lecture, presented a large body of scientific evidence clearly demonstrating that air pollution can cause adverse health effects, such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, and a number of different respiratory illnesses. Dr. Patel presented US experience in developing National Ambient Air Quality Standards, as well as tools that can help healthcare providers in raising awareness on reducing air pollution-related health risks. The meeting with the Faculty representatives and the lecture on “Air pollution and health risks: connecting public health and patient health” was the first in a series of future activities. During her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Patel will continue with activities in the field of air pollution prevention through giving a presentation to students at the Medical Faculty in Zenica, giving the keynote address at the annual Family Medicine Congress, presenting at a UN supported roundtable on air pollution and health, working with Public Health Institutes on designing baseline assessments of the health effects of air pollution, as well as meetings with governmental and non-governmental sector.