APD Foundation Highlights Outdoor Workers’ Health Risks at World Health Summit in Berlin
- Mangaluru-based organisation presents field experience from Karnataka at global health meet
Mangaluru: The Mangaluru-based Anti Pollution Drive (APD) Foundation highlighted the health risks faced by outdoor workers exposed to air pollution at the World Health Summit 2026, held in Berlin, Germany, from October 11 to 13. The annual summit brings together policymakers, scientists, international organisations and civil-society representatives to discuss global health challenges.
APD Foundation Founder and CEO Abdullah A. Rehman participated in discussions with international health leaders, including World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.
According to the International Labour Organization, around 1.6 billion people worldwide work outdoors, with exposure to air pollution linked to as many as 860,000 work-related deaths annually among outdoor workers. However, the health risks faced by traffic police personnel, drivers, street vendors, delivery workers and construction labourers often receive insufficient attention.
Through its Shuddha Gaali initiative, APD Foundation has been studying the effects of environmental exposure on outdoor workers in Karnataka. A screening of 235 Bengaluru traffic police personnel found that around 31% had reduced lung function. The Foundation has also assessed the respiratory health of 510 auto-rickshaw drivers in Mangaluru and conducted respiratory-health screenings among traffic police personnel in the city over the years.
These findings highlight the need for greater attention to the respiratory health of people who spend long hours working in polluted outdoor environments.
Rehman also participated in a roundtable titled “Climate & Health: From Ambition to Investment,” held alongside the summit. The discussion explored ways to translate climate and health concerns into practical action.
The Foundation also discussed potential engagement with the Climate & Health Working Group of Action for Global Health, a UK-based advocacy network.
“Health should not become a priority only after someone becomes a patient. Millions of people spend their working lives on our roads, exposed to environmental risks that receive far too little attention in public-health planning,” Rehman said.
APD Foundation aims to pursue research collaborations and advocate greater recognition of outdoor workers’ health risks in environmental and public-health policies.