2nd edition of "I know what I breathe" | 9th Spirometry Days
Smog is still one of the biggest environmental and health problems in Poland.WHO data shows that 36 of the 50 most polluted cities in the EU are located in our country. The cost of treating smog-related illnesses could be as high as EUR 30 billion [1] per year. That is why Aviva has prepared the second instalment of the socio-educational campaign 'I know what I breathe' and has become a strategic partner of Spirometry Days 2018.
The aim of this year's campaign, which starts on 1 October, is to promote prevention, both in terms of air quality monitoring and lung testing. Thanks to the Aviva Foundation's competition, Airly's nationwide network of outdoor smog sensors will expand by a further 100 devices. The insurer is also supporting free lung tests conducted at 236 medical facilities across Poland from 1-6 October.
Every breath matters
Poles are breathing smog. The permissible air concentration limits for the harmful particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 and the carcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene, set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), are exceeded in our country by up to ten times.
Due to the numerous respiratory health risks, the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergic Diseases and COPD Associations has been organising Spirometry Days since 2010.
Spirometry is a test that measures the volume and capacity of the lungs and the airflow through the lungs and bronchi. It is the easiest way to check the respiratory system. The test takes a few minutes, requires no preparation, is painless and the result is available immediately.
In the eight editions of the Spirometry Days to date, 50 000 people have been tested. In more than 10 000, bronchial obstruction was detected, which is an indication for further diagnosis.
This year, Spirometry Day runs from 1 to 6 October. A total of 236 health facilities are taking part in the free lung screening campaign - a list of which is available at www.astma-alergia-pochp.pl .
- Everyone is encouraged to undergo spirometry, as we all breathe air polluted by smog, fumes and tobacco smoke. In Poland, more than 6 million patients suffer from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and only half are aware of their condition. A spirometric test helps to make an appropriate diagnosis before irreversible complications occur. If an abnormality in the airflow through the respiratory system is detected, the patient will receive a letter to his or her doctor asking for a deeper diagnosis. This year's Spirometry Days are particularly dedicated to the impact of air pollution on health. Hence our collaboration with Aviva, which is running an interesting educational campaign on the harmfulness of smog, 'I know what I breathe'. - says Piotr Dąbrowiecki, MD, leader of the Spirometry Days campaign.
100 more air quality sensors from Aviva
In the second edition of the 'I know what I breathe' campaign, the Aviva Foundation will increase the number of Airly's network of outdoor air quality monitoring sensors by a further 100. These devices 'live' transmit data on the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere, including PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter, which can be tracked on a computer or smartphone.
- The first edition of our campaign saw 300 additional air quality sensors. In northern and central Poland, these sensors have created a real monitoring network, as previously these were only isolated points. One million seven hundred thousand users visit the Airly website on average per month to check air quality, and one hundred thousand people have downloaded a special app. Such a large increase in awareness of smog, its sources and its harmfulness has influenced the fight against it to become a community-wide issue, mobilising authorities and communities to act. We are continuing our initiative, as we still see the need to fill in the white spots on the map of sensors, and we are also betting on lung tests, education in schools and concrete solutions in the fight against smog - says Monika Kulinska, President of the Aviva Foundation.
From 1 to 27 October on www.wiemczymoddycham.pl Anyone can nominate a location for the sensor. In particular, the Foundation is inviting schools, kindergartens, day care centres, municipalities, NGOs, housing communities and cooperatives to take part in the campaign. An online vote will then begin, which will last until 5 December. The 100 locations with the most votes will receive the sensors - the winners will be announced on 6 December.
In addition, the 50 primary schools with the highest number of votes will receive indoor air quality sensors.
Education and prevention
In the centre of Warsaw, next to the junction of Jerozolimskie Avenue and Jana Pawła II Avenue, Poland's first billboard which is also an air filter. Thanks to The Breath's three-layer purification grid technology, developed by Italian scientists, the installation is able to absorb the pollution emitted by 91,350 cars a year. Starting today, the billboard cleans the air and encourages people to take part in the 'I know what I breathe' campaign.
In Krakow, on the other hand, 27 October this year. Aviva is organising AirRun, i.e. run in anti-smog masks at distances of 5 and 10 km, for 1,000 participants. The event is open and free, with registration starting today at www.wiemczymoddycham.pl . The athlete Joanna Jóźwik has become an ambassador for AirRun. Other well-known female runners will also take part in the race. Sofia Ennaoui and Angelika Cichocka.
- The Masked Run will show that we can easily protect our health from smog without giving up an active lifestyle - says Monika Kulińska.
In cooperation with the educational publisher Nowa Era, Aviva has also prepared lesson plans on smog and proposals for competitions. The materials are available at www.wiemczymoddycham.pl .
Aviva's website and social media will feature further compelling content on smog and its impact on life, produced in collaboration with influencers.
[1] Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology "External health costs of air pollutant emissions from the residential and municipal sector".
press materials