IAMAT |International Association of Medical Assistance to Travellers| IAMAT |International Association of Medical Assistance to Travellers|

Travel Health Journal

Air Pollution

Sunset over nuclear plant

Air pollution and travel: How to stay safe and reduce your impact

Since lockdowns were imposed around the world to combat the spread of COVID-19, industrial activity largely grinded to a halt. This has led to the sharpest drop in carbon emissions since air pollution data was first recorded – by early April, daily global emissions had fallen by 17% compared to 2019 data. For cities and regions around the world struggling with consistently poor air quality this comes as a welcome reprieve, especially as exposure to air pollution may contribute to worsening symptoms of COVID-19 or increased mortality. In this blog, we highlight important information about air pollution, including the recent changes we’ve made to our country-specific air pollution data, and tips on how you can reduce your exposure and ...

Glacier and blue sky

Travel and climate change: How to stay healthy and be responsible

Did you know that as travellers, we are having significant impact on climate change? Global tourism accounts for a staggering 8% of all carbon emissions. This is four times higher than originally thought and accounts for the energy needed to support the tourism industry and related goods and services. The global tourism industry is projected to continue growing, but without a commitment to sustainable growth and reduced emissions, the effects of climate change will continue to take hold. To travel as a tourist is a privilege and we owe it to the people and places we visit to be respectful and conscious of our impact. Together, we need to commit to more sustainable forms of travel. Here are five ...