Aotearoa New Zealand needs a coordinated national strategy to improve indoor air quality, according to public health experts who warn that poor air inside our hospitals, schools, workplaces, homes and public buildings is a major but largely invisible health risk.
“We wouldn’t drink dirty water or eat unsafe food, but we rarely think about the air we breathe,” says Associate Professor Julie Bennett from the University of Otago, lead author of a new
Public Health Communication Centre Briefing. “Because we spend around 90% of our lives indoors, the quality of that air is critical to our health and wellbeing. Access to clean air should be treated as a basic human right, just like safe drinking water.”
Unlike food and water, which are regulated, New Zealand has no enforceable standards for indoor air quality. This leaves millions of us breathing air contaminated with viruses, bacteria, dust, mould, and chemical pollutants. “Poor air is often invisible and underestimated as it cannot be seen, smelt, or tasted. Stuffy rooms, headaches, asthma flare-ups and allergies are accepted as normal, masking preventable health risks,” says Dr Bennett.
The health and economic costs are substantial. Poor indoor air quality is linked to higher rates of respiratory disease, cardiovascular conditions, and childhood asthma. It also affects learning and productivity, with workplaces and schools reporting lower concentration and higher absenteeism in poorly ventilated environments.
Research suggests that improving air quality in public buildings could save New Zealand around $1 billion annually through reduced healthcare costs and improved productivity. Yet current building codes focus primarily on energy efficiency rather than health, and there is no national agency responsible for indoor air quality. This leaves decisions about ventilation and filtration to individuals and organisations.
In contrast to New Zealand, many countries have dedicated agencies to set and enforce indoor air quality standards, such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada and the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety.
The Briefing recommends that New Zealand establish a long overdue national agency to develop standards, coordinate research, and lead a comprehensive strategy to improve indoor air quality. This should include thresholds for pollutants and ventilation rates, alongside practical solutions like upgraded ventilation and HEPA filtration in public buildings.
“Covid-19 made us briefly aware of the air we share, but as masks came off, that focus faded,” says Dr Bennett. “Clean indoor air is one of the most effective ways we can protect our health every day, not just during a crisis. It also helps us think more clearly, work more effectively and learn more easily, making it a lasting investment in both wellbeing and productivity.”
The Briefing authors say there is growing global momentum to act, with the upcoming “Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action” event at the UN General Assembly later this month highlighting the issue internationally and urging governments to recognise clean indoor air as a fundamental right.
