Published: 5.2.2026
Text: Inês Paciência
Editing: Viestintätoimisto Jokiranta Oy
Photo: Timo Hugg

The increasing occurrence of asthma and allergic diseases is a growing concern worldwide, particularly in developed western countries. More than 330 million people suffer from these diseases, making asthma one of the most common non-communicable diseases. In Finland, the prevalence of asthma is estimated to be around 10%, and in 2018, the total costs for asthma and allergies ranged from €1.5 to €1.8 billion.

Climate change and the associated environmental changes concerning, for example, air pollution, temperature, vegetation and land use are important determinants of asthma, allergies and other respiratory diseases, as they are known to influence our immune and inflammatory responses. Currently, about two thirds of Europeans reside in cities, making it urgent to better understand how urban environment and climate change affect our respiratory health.

Do blue and green spaces affect the exposures?

The aim of this project is to evaluate the impact of short- and long-term exposures related to climate change (for example, air pollution, temperature, pollen) and loss of biodiversity on allergic diseases and asthma throughout our lifetime, from conception to adulthood. This project also aims to evaluate whether natural spaces (“green and blue spaces”) can change the effect of climate-related environmental exposures on asthma and allergies.

This project will utilise environmental data (including air pollution, temperature, pollen and land use) and detailed clinical information about asthma and allergies collected from three prospective Finnish population-based cohorts.

Valuable information from a follow-up survey

Considering the substantial impact of climate change on the health of ageing populations, we will also conduct a follow-up survey of the three Finnish cohorts to better understand the impact of climate change-related exposures on the risk of the development and progression of respiratory diseases among elderly people. The lifetime approach proposed in this project can contribute to understanding the effect of cumulative environmental exposures or whether there are important periods during our life course that are particularly important for a higher risk of allergic diseases and asthma.

I would like to thank the Sakari Alhopuro Foundation for supporting this project. The results of the research may contribute to reducing the burden of asthma and allergic diseases for both individuals and healthcare as a whole. Hopefully, the researched information will help to reduce symptoms among asthmatic individuals while also reducing the number of respiratory-related visits and hospital admissions.

Another aim is to provide researched information to support the most effective and sustainable interventions, for example, nature-based solutions in urban areas. Minimising environmental-related health risks will provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

 

Inês Paciência, PhD, works as an Academy Researcher at the University of Oulu in the Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research (CERH) within the Research Unit of Population Health. In her research, Inês focuses on the dynamic interaction between the indoor climate and neighbourhood on the development of asthma and allergy. Inês is also the current Chair of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) working group “One Health”, which aims to contribute to designing and implementing programmes, policies and research where multiple stakeholders work together to accomplish better public health outcomes.