The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (UNIATF) has launched the 2026–2027 UNIATF Awards, recognizing outstanding multisectoral action to address air pollution and chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The Awards support implementation of the 2025 Political Declaration on NCDs, which calls for stronger action across sectors to create healthier environments and reduce preventable disease.
Today, an estimated 99% of the world’s population breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality guideline levels. Air pollution alone contributes to millions of premature deaths each year and disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries and vulnerable communities.
Because air pollution is shaped by policies far beyond the health sector, these Awards aim to recognize initiatives that bring together sectors such as environment, transport, housing, labour, energy, urban planning, climate and sustainable development.
Examples from around the world are already demonstrating what is possible:
- London (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelan) introduced low-emission transport policies
which contributed to major reductions in nitrogen dioxide and childhood asthma hospitalizations; - Medellín (Colombia), invested in green corridors and inclusive public transport that has improved both mobility and air quality: and
- In Accra (Ghana), integrated clean air strategies are linking environmental monitoring with public health action.
These examples reflect a broader shift: from treating respiratory disease only after it develops to addressing the environments that shape lung health in the first place.
“For millions of people living with asthma and COPD, the journey to illness often begins long before diagnosis – in the air they breathe at home, at work, in traffic-congested streets, or in communities exposed to pollution every day,” José Luis Castro, WHO Director-General’s Special Envoy on Chronic respiratory Diseases recently noted, “These Awards are important because they help shift the focus from managing disease after it occurs to preventing it at its source.
Award categories
The 2026–2027 Awards seek nominations from institutions and organizations demonstrating measurable impact in preventing and managing chronic respiratory diseases while reducing exposure to harmful air pollution.
Awards will be presented across three categories:
1. ministries of health and government health agencies;
2. government bodies outside the health sector, including city and municipal authorities; and
3. nongovernmental organizations, research and academic institutions, and foundations.
Particular emphasis will be placed on:
• innovative and scalable solutions
• cross-sector collaboration
• action addressing inequities and vulnerable populations
• sustainable policy and programmatic approaches
• partnerships involving governments, cities, academia, foundations and civil society
Why this matters now
Chronic respiratory diseases remain among the most under-recognized NCDs globally, despite their immense human and economic costs.
Many people living with COPD or asthma are diagnosed late. Others face repeated hospitalizations, reduced productivity, financial strain, and social isolation. The burden frequently falls hardest on communities already facing poverty, unsafe housing, occupational exposure, or limited access to care.
At the same time, many of the solutions already exist:
- stronger air quality standards
- cleaner household energy
- land use and urban planning that take into account health considerations
- low-emission vehicles and zones, sustainable transport
- safer workplaces
- tobacco control
- early diagnosis and treatment.
The challenge is not only technical – it is political, institutional, and financial.
By highlighting successful initiatives and practical implementation models, the Awards aim to accelerate momentum behind the commitments made in the 2025 Political Declaration and encourage countries and partners to move from ambition to measurable improvements.
Call for nominations
Nominations for the 2026–2027 UNIATF Awards are now open until 28 August 2026.
The Awards will be officially presented during the 80th session of the World Health Assembly in May 2027. Preliminary announcements and category-specific recognitions may also take place ahead of the main ceremony.
Organizations working to advance clean air, respiratory health, and multisectoral action are encouraged to apply.