Indoor Air: an overlooked foundation of public health
Across the world, extraordinary progress has been made into making our water safe to drink, our food safe to eat and our outdoor environment cleaner and healthier.
These advances have been underpinned by rigorous science and supported by national and international agreements aiming to reduce harms and hazards, and build strong regulatory frameworks that hold industries accountable. And yet, one area remains critically under-addressed: the air we breathe indoors.
Australians spend up to 90% of our lives inside homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals and public transport. But while clean water and food are recognised as basic rights, and outdoor air pollution is treated as a global health priority, indoor air is largely unregulated, poorly monitored and too often ignored.
The consequences of inaction are profound. Indoor air plays a clear role in the spread of respiratory or airborne infections such as influenza, RSV and COVID-19. It also influences long-term health through exposure to fine particulates, volatile organic compounds, mould, and allergens, contributing to asthma, cardiovascular disease, impaired cognitive function, and poor mental health outcomes. These impacts translate directly into economic costs, including lost school and work days, diminished workforce productivity, and higher healthcare expenditures.
A historic moment at the UN
This week, more than 300 leaders from around the world are gathering at a high-level event on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York. Co-sponsored by France and Montenegro and co-convened by the Australian Academy of Science, Burnet Institute, Brown University’s School of Public Health and the OSLUV Project, this historical event marks the first international call for action to recognise clean indoor air as an important human right.
Already, more than 150 organisations have signed the global pledge. It’s a watershed moment, marking indoor air’s long overdue arrival on the global public health stage.
Why indoor air matters for Australia
The science is clear. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that the virus spread in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, fuelling outbreaks in the very settings where people gather and work, and increasing the risks of chronic effects or long COVID. There are simple interventions that work to make indoor air safe — ventilation (moving fresh air in by opening doors and windows) and cleaning the air (using air purifiers, cleaning filters regularly and disinfection using UV light). These engineering solutions operate in the background, without reliance on human behaviour change as a key prevention strategy.
The pandemic underscored a simple truth that extends beyond infectious diseases: safe indoor air is as essential to public health as vaccines, clean drinking water, or sanitation. Bushfire smoke added another dimension. During the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires, many Australians experienced how poorly our buildings filter and circulate air. Climate change means these challenges are not going away — they will become more frequent and more severe.
Indoor air is also an equity issue. People living in poorly ventilated housing or relying on unsafe heating sources face greater risks. People who live in shared accommodation, such as aged care and patients in hospitals, have a higher risk of airborne outbreaks, compounded by a greater risk of getting sick.
Burnet’s research and role
At Burnet, a key focus of our work is health security and pandemic preparedness — and safe indoor air is central to this. We are investigating practical and scalable ways to improve air safety in critical settings, from health and aged care facilities to community spaces, such as workplaces and schools. By combining scientific evidence with community partnerships, Burnet is helping to shape policy and practice in Australia and contributing to this historic global movement for change.
Our research demonstrates the importance and feasibility of adopting low-cost interventions (ventilation, filtration and UV disinfection) into existing infrastructure, not as emergency add-ons but as a baseline requirement. We are also working on low-cost, evidence-based solutions that including air quality monitoring that can be implemented at scale and are cost-effective. This would ensure that safe indoor air is not just a privilege for the wealthy, but a public health standard accessible to all.
From pledge to action
The UN event is a landmark moment, but the words and pledges must translate into practical action. Indoor air should be measured, monitored and managed with the same rigour we apply to water and food. That means:
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educate and empower the public about the importance of healthy indoor air.
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monitor indoor air quality across the community and work towards setting standards, as we do for outdoor air. In Australia, this will require multi-sectoral and national coordination
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deploy existing solutions to improve air quality now — ventilation, filtration and disinfection systems — especially in new buildings
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invest in research to develop novel, smarter and more feasible solutions, that balance quality, comfort and energy efficiency — especially in older buildings.
Breathing into Australia’s future
Australia has a proud record of leadership in public health. We have eradicated diseases, pioneered tobacco control and cancer prevention, and built one of the world’s strongest health and biomedical research systems.
Now we face our next challenge in an era of increasing pandemic and climate risks.
We have made clean water and food non-negotiable. It is time to do the same for the air we breathe indoors.
Associate Professor Suman Majumdar
Chief Health Officer, COVID-19 and Health Emergencies; Deputy Program Director (Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness; Know-C19); Principal Research Fellow
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