Report on an Educational Initiative Addressing Indoor Air Quality in Support of Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

An upcoming webinar, “Invisible Risks: Addressing Indoor Air Quality Among Patients,” scheduled for October 30, 2025, aims to educate healthcare professionals on the public health issue of indoor air pollution. This initiative directly supports the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), by enhancing professional capacity to improve health outcomes related to environmental factors.

2.0 Background and Rationale

The initiative addresses a significant public health challenge that impedes progress toward key SDGs. The rationale is based on the following findings:

• High-Risk Environments: With populations spending up to 90% of their time indoors, exposure to pollutant levels that are two to five times higher than outdoor concentrations presents a direct threat to public health, undermining the core objective of SDG 3 to ensure healthy lives.
• Professional Knowledge Gap: A nationwide American Lung Association survey revealed that while 89.2% of healthcare professionals agree on the relevance of assessing indoor air pollution, only 26.8% are satisfied with their current knowledge. This gap is a critical barrier to achieving the health targets outlined in SDG 3.
• Urban Health and Sustainability: Poor indoor air quality is a crucial component of the urban environment. Addressing it is essential for progress on SDG 11, which aims to create safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements by reducing their adverse environmental impact.

3.0 Program Objectives and SDG Alignment

The webinar’s learning objectives are structured to provide healthcare professionals with actionable knowledge that aligns with global sustainability targets.

1. Understand the Public Health Impact: To establish indoor air quality as a serious public health issue and explain its physiological effects on the human body. This objective directly supports SDG 3 by focusing on preventative healthcare and the promotion of well-being.
2. Develop Assessment Capabilities: To train attendees in assessing patient exposure to key indoor pollutants such as radon, residential combustion emissions, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and mold. This enhances diagnostic capabilities crucial for SDG 3 and addresses specific environmental health factors relevant to SDG 11.
3. Implement Mitigation Strategies: To introduce practical, low-cost mitigation solutions and guide the development of indoor air quality action plans. This objective empowers patients and providers, contributing to SDG 3 through direct health interventions, SDG 11 by improving the safety of living spaces, and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by promoting awareness of pollution sources.

4.0 Initiative Details

• Title: Invisible Risks: Addressing Indoor Air Quality Among Patients
• Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET
• Presenters: Ashley Petrolino, RRT, MPH, AE-C, CPES, CPH, and Mimi Guiracocha, DNP, RN
• Sponsor: American Lung Association
• Professional Development: The webinar is approved for 1.0 CRCE credit by the American Association for Respiratory Care. This commitment to certified professional training supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by promoting lifelong learning opportunities that enhance technical and professional skills within the health sector.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article’s central theme is the impact of indoor air quality on human health. It describes indoor air pollution as a “serious public health issue” and focuses on a webinar designed to educate healthcare professionals on its health effects and how to care for patients exposed to it. This directly aligns with the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The article highlights that “Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, where pollutant levels are often 2-5 times higher than outdoor concentrations.” This focuses on the quality of the built environment within human settlements. Addressing indoor air quality is crucial for creating safe, resilient, and sustainable living spaces, which is a core component of SDG 11.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The article announces a “live, CRCE-approved webinar” aimed at addressing a “lack of knowledge and comfort among healthcare professionals” regarding indoor air quality. This initiative is a form of professional development and lifelong learning, providing specialized knowledge to improve professional practice, which connects to the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.9: “By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.” The article directly addresses this target by focusing on illnesses caused by indoor air pollutants such as “radon, emissions from residential combustion, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and mold.” The webinar’s purpose is to mitigate these health risks.
• Target 3.d: “Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.” The webinar is designed to strengthen the capacity of healthcare professionals to “assess patients for indoor air pollutant exposure” and manage the associated health risks, thereby improving the healthcare system’s ability to deal with this environmental health threat.

Under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.6: “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality…” The article’s emphasis on high levels of indoor air pollution is a critical aspect of the overall air quality within cities. Educating professionals on “practical, low-cost mitigation solutions” contributes directly to reducing the adverse environmental impact on inhabitants.

Under SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.4: “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” The webinar provides Continuing Respiratory Care Education (CRCE) credits, which is a form of professional skill enhancement for healthcare workers, helping them acquire relevant skills to perform their jobs more effectively.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 3 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 3.9: Reduction in the incidence of illnesses attributable to indoor air pollution. The article’s focus on how IAP “affects the body and health” implies that a key measure of success would be a decrease in health problems linked to the specific pollutants mentioned.
• Indicator for Target 3.d: Percentage of healthcare professionals with adequate knowledge of IAP health effects. The article provides a baseline figure: “only one-in-four (26.8%) were satisfied with their current knowledge.” Progress can be measured by an increase in this percentage following educational interventions like the webinar.

Indicator for SDG 11 Target

• Implied Indicator for Target 11.6: Ambient concentration of pollutants in indoor environments. The article states that indoor pollutant levels are “2-5 times higher than outdoor concentrations.” A direct indicator of progress would be the measured reduction of indoor concentrations of particulate matter, VOCs, and other mentioned pollutants.

Indicator for SDG 4 Target

• Indicator for Target 4.4: Number of professionals receiving certified training. The article mentions the webinar is “CRCE-approved” and has been approved for “1.0 CRCE.” The number of attendees who register for and complete this training serves as a direct indicator of progress in upskilling the healthcare workforce.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: respiratory-therapy.com