Prediction of the Public Health Impact and Health Costs of Air Quality Policy Measures
Air pollution impacts upon human health throughout the life course from before birth to old age. Air quality interventions may paradoxically increase health inequalities by displacing pollutants to areas with higher proportions of vulnerable individuals, and it is recognised that health co- and dis-benefits should both be considered to optimise policy measures.
Current approaches to health risk estimation predominantly look at population level morbidity and mortality, with limited predictions of outcomes among susceptible groups.
The AQ-LAT
The Air Quality Lifecourse Assessment Tool (AQ-LAT) is designed to support local authority professionals, planners and practitioners to appraise and evaluate the health and economic impacts of current and future air quality scenarios in the West Midlands region.
The user-friendly tool enables local authorities to quantify existing health and economic impacts of population exposure to fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The AQ-LAT can be flexibly used both to evaluate impacts of existing interventions and to appraise future air quality policy options. The output provides an accessible dashboard for end users to rapidly view results.
The tool integrates regional air quality, demographic, and health data for the West Midlands Combined Authority Area, including seven metropolitan boroughs (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton). The tool includes the following health and economic indicators:
- Health
- Deaths (mortality)
- Disease cases (child and adult asthma, stroke, coronary heart disease, lung cancer)
- Economic
- NHS costs (primary, secondary care and prescription costs)
- Indirect costs (including time of work)
- Social care costs
- Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs)
In addition to the ability to apply local air quality changes, users may also select from modelled air quality scenarios, including THE UK Clean Air and Net Zero strategies, and achievement of World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines levels and interim targets.
We want the AQ-LAT to become a key resource for undertaking health impact assessment, research and business case development across the West Midlands region. We would therefore welcome your feedback on the AQ-LAT and case studies of its application.
***Download the AQ-LAT Tool by completing the form below.***
The AQ-LAT User Guide can be viewed here >>
Please send AQ-LAT feedback to: wmair@contacts.bham.ac.uk
Suggested AQ-LAT Tool Citation: WM-Air (West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme) (2022) Prediction of the Public Health Impact and Health Costs of Air Quality Policy Measures [online] Available at: https://wm-air.org.uk/project/health/
(Note, the AQ-LAT tool is currently going through the academic peer-review process – we will update this page with the reference once the paper is published.)
AQ-LAT
Air Quality Lifecourse Assessment Tool Download
To obtain the AQ-LAT (v 4.1) please sign up using this form.
