On World Cancer Day, representatives from the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) Poland attended the meeting of the Parliamentary Group "Rodzice dla Klimatu" (Parents for Climate). Experts from non-governmental organisations, the scientific community, and the healthcare sector discussed the impact of pollution on cancer and prevention. Olga Wdowiczak, environmental health policy specialist at HEAL, presented findings on how exposure to hazardous chemicals increases the cancer risk, particularly for children.
Climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss affect people’s health and generate multi-billion-euro economic costs, as a briefing produced by HEAL Poland endorsed by the Institute of Water Economy and Meteorology of the National Research Institute and the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy, and COPD Patients Associations highlights.
In Poland, air pollution causes over 40,000 premature deaths and millions of cases of illness every year, particularly among children, the elderly, those with chronic diseases and those facing socio-economic health inequalities.
Between 2014 and 2020, the economic cost from air pollution were estimated at 60 billion euros annually (around 250 billion PLN), which accounts for 13% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and is one of the highest figures in the EU.
The Polish economy is also suffering from the effects of climate change, particularly extreme weather events linked to it. The 2024 flood in southern Poland is estimated to have caused costs amounting to 13 billion PLN. Importantly, these estimates do not include many hidden costs, such as long-term health effects, such as the negative impact on mental health for flood victims, limited access to healthcare, or physical strain contributing to the development of diseases.
External costs, including health costs caused by climate change, will continue to increase. Adaptation and health protection therefore has to become a priority in national and European policies.
In the new briefing, HEAL outlines key local actions and calls for:
- Supporting pro-climate and pro-environment policies that prevent adverse health effects;
- Ceasing direct and indirect public funding of activities harmful to health (such as subsidizing fossil fuel extraction and combustion);
- Urgently phasing out coal, oil, and gas combustion in favour of investing in renewable energy sources, energy savings and energy efficiency;
- Timely implementation of the Air Quality Directive (AAQD) and supporting local authorities in adapting to new air quality standards;
- Continuing the reformed “Clean Air” programme.
Read the full briefing (in Polish) here
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