Department of Community Medicine
and School of Public Health
The University of Hong Kong
CM Wong
Application of health effects of
air pollution studies
Air Pollution Team Health Economics Team
CHAN, King-Pan Eric CHAU, June
CHAN, O-U CHENG, Wai-Ling Annie
CHAU, Yuen-Kwan Patsy McGHEE, Sarah M
CHI, Yuk-Sheung Marie WONG, Lai-Chin
HEDLEY, Anthony J
LAI, Hak-Kan
THACH, Quoc-Thuan
WONG, Chit-Ming

The concentration-response curves for
(A) respiratory and (B) cardiac admissions
Hong Kong London
Source: Wong et al. Environmental Health Perspectives 2002; 110:67-76.

Reducing exposure and the burden of disease:
Use of the concentration-response curve
β is the excess risk per unit of pollutant concentration
!(x 1 - x 2) is an preventable fraction of exposure and
incidence of cardiorespiratory disease

Avoidable events caused by pollution:
Doctor visits, Hospital bed-days & Deaths
Pollution Air quality
(microgram per cubic meter)
Poor
Hong Kong 6.8 million doctor visits
100 2004
64,000 hospital days
80 1,600 deaths
Hong Kong
$2 billion direct + $ 19 Average
60
6.8M doctor visits indirect costs
billion Hong Kong
40 The preventable fraction
64000 bed-days
1600 deaths
$2 Billion Objective
20 WHO
Guideline
2006
0

An initiative to aid communicating to the public
about benefits of better air quality
http://hedleyindex.sph.hku.hk

We need better translation of public
health research into policy and practice
Problem
Science
X
Advocacy
X
Policy
Action
Benefit