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South Africa is strengthening its response to air pollution after the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) signed a new agreement aimed at better understanding and reducing the health impacts of polluted air.

The two institutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration between environmental and health experts, ensuring that environmental policies are guided by scientific evidence on how air pollution affects people’s health and well-being.

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The partnership will focus on research, policy development, health impact assessments, data sharing, air quality monitoring and public awareness initiatives.

Air pollution remains one of the world’s leading environmental health risks and has been linked to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and premature death.

In South Africa, communities living near industrial areas, power stations, transport corridors and informal settlements are among those most affected.

The partnership combines the DFFE’s environmental management mandate with the SAMRC’s expertise in environmental epidemiology and public health research.

It aims to generate scientific evidence to improve air quality management, support more effective interventions and reduce diseases associated with air pollution.

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The collaboration will also support research into emissions from various pollution sources, strengthen surveillance of pollution-related illnesses, improve access to environmental data for health studies and contribute to early warning systems designed to protect vulnerable communities during periods of poor air quality.

Deputy Director-General for Climate Change and Air Quality Management at the DFFE, Maesela Kekana, said the agreement demonstrated the government’s commitment to protecting both the environment and public health.

Clean air is fundamental to the health and well-being of all South Africans. This partnership enables us to strengthen the scientific foundation of our air quality policies and interventions by drawing on the SAMRC’s world-class health research expertise.

Kekana said that through the collaboration, the DFFE and SAMRC will be better positioned to understand the “real health impacts of air pollution, support evidence-based decision-making, and ensure that environmental management contributes directly to improved health outcomes”.

SAMRC president and chief executive officer Professor Ntobeko Ntusi said the partnership highlighted the importance of research in addressing complex public health challenges.

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“The health effects of air pollution extend far beyond environmental concerns and represent a significant public health challenge,” Ntusi said.

“Through this partnership, the SAMRC will contribute scientific evidence that helps policymakers understand how environmental exposures affect human health and where interventions can have the greatest impact.”

Our shared goal is to ensure that research translates into policies and actions that protect lives, reduce health inequalities, and improve quality of life for all South Africans.

As the health-focused research arm of the National Department of Health, the SAMRC said the agreement also creates opportunities for closer collaboration with the department and other stakeholders to strengthen South Africa’s response to environmental health challenges, including climate change and air pollution.

The two organisations said the partnership would help ensure that community health remains central to environmental policy and decision-making as South Africa continues to pursue sustainable development and stronger environmental protection.