28 medical and environmental organisations, in a joint statement, are calling for serious measures to improve local air quality, stressing that “air pollution costing the life of more than one person a day in Malta.”

The Centre of Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) this month issued a report showing that 11,000 deaths in Europe were avoided due to less consumption of fossil fuel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement said that recent studies show that on average in Malta “more than 500 people die prematurely every year due to air pollution alone.” Maltese citizens reported the worst exposure to pollution according to a 2017 Eurostat study.

“Air pollution fell drastically during Covid-19 outbreak restrictions in Malta and so did asthma attacks, possibly due to both decrease in air pollution and restrictive measures,” the statement said.

They pointed out that another local hazard is ship pollution where studies show how a Mediterranean Emission Control Area (ECA) can prevent up to 6,000 lives annually in the region.

The organisations said that they are therefore recommend the following measures to be implemented and to persist even after the end of the pandemic:

“taking interlinked health hazards – air and noise pollution, mental health and the obesity pandemic as seriously as the COVID-19 pandemic

introducing better incentives for renewable energy sources and cleaner means of transport

making green areas accessible to all members of the public:

combining work and tutorship from home with conventional methods whenever possible to decrease unnecessary commuting and related emissions:

building better and safer infrastructure for both pedestrians and users of bicycles and similar means of transport

investing in improved public transport with possible addition of other transport means

providing better measures and infrastructure for shared and public transportation

creating larger permanent pedestrian zones in village cores and towns and ensuring the long-term implementation of plans recently mentioned by Government

ensuring full and timely implementation of the National Air Pollution Control Programme

establishing an Emission Control Area (ECA) in our seas to decrease seacraft emissions

introducing measures tackling IT illiteracy in all age groups since both public and private services are now more dependent on digitalisation.”

The organisations concluded by encouraging the general public to approach their parliamentary and local council representatives “so that all stakeholders can come together and target one of the biggest avoidable health risk among us.”

Signed by:

Association of Anaesthesiologists of Malta (AAM)

Association of Private Family Doctors (APFD)

Association of Surgeons of Malta (ASM)

Attard Residents Environmental Network (AREN)

Bicycle Advocacy Group (BAG)

BirdLife Malta

Creating A Positive Environmentally Resourceful Society (CAPERS)

Din l-Art Helwa (DLH)

Extinction Rebellion

Family Medicine Trainees Malta

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA)

Friends of the Earth Malta

Futur Ambjent Wiehed

Geriatric Medicine Society of Malta (GMSM)

Green House

IRMCo – Integrated Resources Management

Malta Association of Psychiatric Trainees (MAPT)

Malta Association of Psychiatry (MAP)

Malta Association of Public Health Medicine (MAPHM)

Malta Medical Students’ Association (MMSA)

Malta Obesity Association

Maltese Association of Dermatology and Venereology (MADV)

Maltese Association of Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physicians (MARNMP)

Moviment Graffitti

Nature Trust – FEE Malta

Ramblers’ Association of Malta

The Archaeological Society Malta (ASM)

Zminijietna – Voice of the Left.

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