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Ella’s Law

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:21:27 GMT

What is Ella’s Law?

Ella’s Law (the Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill) is a proposed UK law, spearheaded by Siân Berry MP and supported by a cross-party group, aiming to establish the human right to breathe clean air. It mandates that the government meet stricter WHO air quality guidelines by providing a pathway to reach those guidelines by 2030, addressing pollution from both indoor and outdoor sources.

Key details about the bill:

Background: Named in memory of nine-year-old Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who in 2013 became the first person in the world to have air pollution listed as a cause of death.

Purpose: The bill aims to update the 1956 Clean Air Act, requiring the Government to achieve and maintain clean air in England.

Key Measures: It proposes setting stricter, updated air quality limits, monitoring air quality in workplaces, homes, and public spaces, and creating a “Citizens’ Commission for Clean Air” to enforce these standards.

Current Status: A cross-party group of MPs re-introduced this bill into the House of Commons, with a speech on 1 July 2025. It is scheduled for its next reading in Parliament on 27 March 2026.

Campaigners: The bill is supported by Ella’s mother, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who has campaigned for over 12 years for air quality targets that would result in a reduction of air pollution, ultimately saving people’s lives.

Why is the bill important?

Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to our health and yet it is invisible. People are unaware of how much damage breathing dirty air is causing within their bodies.
We know that there are 500 preventable deaths from air pollution every week in the UK.
The Royal College of Physicians 2025 report also highlighted evidence that there are now links between air pollution and almost every organ in the body and the diseases that affect them.
It calculates that there was an economic burden of £27 billion in 2019 due to healthcare costs, productivity losses and reduced quality of life.
Above all it highlights how air pollution is a preventable public health threat.

The ultimate hope is that this Government will adopt and back Ella’s Law in her memory: adopt its provisions, take up the important actions it will mandate and recognise in law the human right to breathe clean air.

How MPs Can Take Action

By signing this pledge, MPs commit to:

Champion Ella’s Law in Parliament.
Use their influence to encourage the Prime Minister to take forward Ella’s Law as a priority for their government.
Raise awareness about air pollution and the impact on health to their constituents.

Join Us: Sign the Pledge

If you’re an MP who believes in protecting us all from the devastating impact of air pollution, sign this pledge by sending an email to admin@ellaroberta.org saying ‘I pledge my support’ and help us push for legislative change.

See MPs who have already pledged here

MPs supporting Ella’s Law

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:14:30 GMT

Key Supporters of Ella’s Law To Date

Siân Berry MP

Green Party – Brighton Pavilion

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP

Labour – Clapham and Brixton Hill

Stella Creasy MP

Labour (Co-op) – Walthamstow

Wera Hobhouse MP

Liberal Democrat – Bath

Shockat Adam MP

Independent – Leicester South

Ellie Chowns MP

Green Party – North Herefordshire

Seamus Logan MP

SNP – Aberdeenshire North and Moray East

Afzal Khan MP

Labour – Manchester Rusholme

Ruth Jones MP

Labour – Newport West and Islwyn

Andrew George MP

Liberal Democrat – St Ives

Iqbal Mohamed

Independent – Dewsbury and Batley

Rosamund speaks at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:19:56 GMT

On 25th February, Rosamund travelled to Dublin to take part in My Health lecture series about Clean Air – a public lecture series to highlight important issues of health to the general public and healthcare professionals – organised by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). She took part in a panel discussion alongside:

Professor Edward Gregg, Head, School of Population Health, RCSI
Professor Killian Hurley, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, RCSI and Respiratory Consultant Physician, Beaumont Hospital
Professor Deborah Stanistreet, Professor of Public Health, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, School of Population Health, RCSI

The event was recorded in front of a live audience and will be released as a podcast episode and on the RCSI’s Youtube channel and website.

Rosamund meets students at the London College of Communication (LCC)

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 07:25:17 GMT

On 19th February, Rosamund met Year 2 students of the BA Graphic Branding & Identity course from UAL London College of Communication. The students have responded to a climate justice brief focusing on the work of the Ella Roberta Foundation and the common fight for clean air, developing 15-second moving image and sound pieces. In a variety of creative approaches, the short video formats speak to families, businesses or politicians raising awareness, proposing solutions, revealing unexpected side effects of polluted air and calling for action. Rosamund spoke about her campaign work and gave feedback on the students’ videos.

Watch a few of the videos here:

Julia Sives

Spike Beeton

Mahnoor Jan

Air That I Breathe’ Art Exhibition Now Open

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:14:34 GMT

Curated by Dr Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, the exhibition runs until Sunday 15th March at:

Canvas & Cream, 18 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3HF.

Call ahead to check opening times: 020 8699 9589

Dr Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah is a Public Health Advocate for children and young people and uses art in her campaign work to make the invisible; visible. Rosamund believes art is a medium that helps the public understand and promotes behaviour change.

‘Air That I Breathe’ is a body of work that has been donated to Rosamund and Ella’s foundation over the last ten years as different artists have been moved by Ella’s death.

An evening with Rosamund and Edward Adoo at Tate Lates

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:06:01 GMT

On 28th November, Rosamund and broadcaster Edward Adoo hosted a Tate Lates event at London’s Tate Modern. The first part of the evening included a talk discussing mass migration, displacement and its impact on society in London and beyond; it was followed by a screening of Reframe’s, ‘Breathless’ and Julianknxx’s ‘Breathing by Numbers’ as well as Rosamund and Edward’s discussion about the impacts of air pollution.

Rosamund speaks at The Mayor of London’s second Clean Air and Health Summit

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 08:12:30 GMT

On 27th November Rosamund spoke at The Mayor of London’s second Clean Air and Health Summit held at the Royal College of Physicians in London. This second summit followed the inaugural event held in February 2022, which centred on implementing the recommendations of the Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report arising from the second inquest into the death of Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah. This summit focused on reaffirming the need for sustained engagement and concerted action by the health system, government bodies and other relevant professionals.

Also speaking at the Summit:
Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Emma Hardy MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, DEFRA
Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England
Professor Kevin Fenton, Regional Public Health Director for London, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
Dr Chris Streather, Regional Medical Director, NHS England (London)
Dr Ian Sinha, Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
Professor Sir Stephen Holgate CBE, MRC Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, University of Southampton

BACK ELLA’S LAW TO SAVE LIVES

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:39:13 GMT

The Ella Roberta Foundation has long called for an update to the UK’s legislation that governs air quality. Previous governments have failed to update existing laws so that the UK’s air quality targets are more in line with those set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). As such, the air that most of us breathe in the UK has so much pollution in it, that it far exceeds the limits deemed as ‘safe’ by the WHO.

The Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill known as Ella’s Law was reintroduced to the House of Commons in July 2025. Due to parliamentary process, it is unlikely to be adopted into law unless this Government push for it, which is why we are calling for it to be included in the next King’s Speech (this occurs at the start of each parliament when the King reads out the Government’s agenda of what it wants to deliver in that term).

We believe everyone has a right to breathe clean air, which is why this new Clean Air Act/Ella’s Law is so important as it would enshrine this right into UK law.

If you want to help us convince the Government that people care about air pollution and want to see a new updated law to protect their health, please copy and paste the text below and send to The Prime Minister.

Send to: keir.starmer.mp@parliament.uk

CC in your local MP if you know them.

Dear Prime Minister,

On 1st July 2025 The Clean Air Human Rights Bill known as Ella’s Law, was reintroduced to the House of Commons. Ella’s Law is named after Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah who died aged 9 from asthma caused by air pollution, primarily from traffic emissions from the South Circular road close to where she lived in London.

But we know Ella is not the only one, the Royal College of Physicians linked air pollution to a range of 700 illnesses, including cancer and dementia, citing that it causes 500 premature deaths per week in the UK. The UK also has one of the highest number of emergency admissions and death rates for childhood asthma in Europe. The poorest and most vulnerable in our society suffer the most, whilst contributing the least to the problem of poor air quality.

To ensure Ella’s Law reaches the statute book, we are asking you to prioritise more time in the House for this important piece of legislation to be heard.

Importantly Ella’s Law would:

– Establish a pathway to comply with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) air quality guidelines – the very minimum levels of air pollution to protect human health. The UK’s current air quality targets fall far below what is deemed ‘safe’ by the WHO and the EU.

– Enshrine the Human Right to clean air in law thus preventing the deaths of children and other vulnerable people, whilst helping to protect the environment and mitigate climate change.

Please do what is right and protect the health of everyone in the UK by allocating more sitting Fridays in parliament for the Bill to be read and progress through the House.

Air pollution affects us all and your attention to it should be above party politics. People are dying in the UK from something that is highly preventable, we urge you to do something about it and protect the citizens you were elected to represent.

Yours sincerely,

[insert name]

Rosamund urges Emma Hardy MP to take action on air pollution.

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:16:56 GMT

Rosamund’s letter to Emma Hardy MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)

Dear Emma,

It is exactly one year since myself and my two children met with you in your office at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). I’m sure you will remember the meeting formed part of the settlement of a civil claim brought on behalf of my late daughter Ella’s estate, against three Government Departments for breaches of Ella’s rights under the Human Rights Act, including her right to life. You read the statement issued on behalf of those Government Departments namely DEFRA, the Department for Transport (DoT) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). You expressed your condolences and thanked me for my continued advocacy for improvements to air quality for everyone in the UK.

I had high hopes after that meeting that the (then) new Labour Government were going to act on improving air quality, where previous Governments had woefully failed. Both you and the Secretary of State at DHSC, Wes Streeting MP when I met him, pledged your commitment to work with me on this issue. Yet, one year on from our meeting there has been no progress from this Labour Government on the biggest environmental health threat to society today.

Let us not forget that the poorest and most marginalised communities bear the brunt of the air pollution burden. They contribute the least to the problem, and yet suffer the devastating health impacts the most. Who is protecting those children?

So, I wanted to write to you today to remind you of our meeting last year, to make you aware that it is 365 days since we sat in your office and talked about the need for this Government to deliver a public health campaign on air pollution. How it is one year since we discussed how secondary legislation could be a quicker route to bring our air quality targets in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines. And the urgent necessity for this given the current ‘legal limits’ for air quality within the UK are far higher than our EU counterparts, and the health-informed guidelines recommended by the WHO.

500 people are dying every week in the UK because of air pollution. It is directly within your gift and your fellow Government Ministers to do something about it. The British public deserve better, everyone has a right to breathe safe, clean air. It is no different from our human right to have access to clean water to drink. When I met you, I thought that you agreed with that sentiment.

I look forward to hearing the progress your government intends to make to protect our health from toxic air pollution, as we discussed one year ago today.

With best wishes,

Rosamund celebrates Black History Month at Kings College Hospital

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:26:19 GMT

On 21st October Rosamund joined the Mayor of Southwark and employees at Kings College Hospital to celebrate Black History Month. She spoke about the strength, resilience, and determination needed to continue her campaign work as well as participating in a health panel discussion.

Rosamund speaks at IAQM’s annual conference

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:23:15 GMT

On 21st October 2025, Rosamund spoke at the Institute for Air Quality Management (IAQM) annual conference ‘Routes to Clean Air’ in London; the conference focused on topics relevant to air quality practitioners and associated professionals. She was interviewed by the Met Office’s Dr Noel Nelson.

Dieselgate: Rosamund protests outside the Royal Courts of Justice

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:51:50 GMT

On 13th October, Rosamund joined Mums for Lungs outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, to demonstrate the level of public concern about Dieselgate. They were joined by major charities and campaign groups such as ClientEarth and Asthma + Lung UK. In a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Mums for Lungs, ClientEarth and Asthma + Lung UK are calling on the UK government to ensure car manufacturers investigate and recall cars.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah CBE said:

The evidence shows that illegal pollution from diesel vehicles has caused thousands of premature deaths in the UK. My daughter Ella’s death was the first in the world to be officially linked to air pollution — but we know she is not the only one.

Car manufacturers have a moral and legal duty to put this scandal right. And the Government needs to step up and phase out diesel vehicles that are still on our streets by 2030. It is morally unacceptable that toxic air is still being pumped out by these vehicles without us knowing. As the Coroner said in Ella’s case ‘if it wasn’t for the illegal levels of air pollution, not only would Ella have not have got asthma in the first place, but she would not have died on that fatal night.’ We owe it to every child growing up now to make sure that the air they breathe is safe so that they will not get sick and they will not continue to die.

Rosamund speaks at Labour Party Conference fringe event

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 07:31:14 GMT

On 30th September, Rosamund spoke at a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. The panel, titled, ‘Every breath counts: Action on air quality’ was delivered by The Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Other panellists included: Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, Dr Mike McKean, vice president for policy, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Bradford Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe.

Rosamund ‘in conversation’ at the National Portrait Gallery

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:07:17 GMT

On 18th September 2025, Rosamund took part in an event at London’s National Portrait Gallery, titled, The art of awareness: air pollution – Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah in conversation with Serena Brown.

The event celebrated the display of Rosamund’s portrait by photographer Serena Brown, winner of the 2024 Taylor Wessing Photographic Commission Prize. The conversation, chaired by journalist and broadcaster Cathy Newman, provided a moment for both artist and sitter to reflect on their shared experience of creating the portrait, as well as exploring Rosamund’s life story and work, and her impact raising awareness about the dangers of Air Pollution.

Rosamund speaks at the Air Quality and Emissions Expo

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:24:04 GMT

On 17th September 2025 , Rosamund spoke at the Air Quality and Emissions Expo in Birmingham, the UK’s leading event for air quality professionals. She was a guest of The Environmental Industries Association. Rosamund was conversation with EIA’s Air Quality Chair, Jim Mills where she spoke about the second reading of Ella’s Law in November 2025 and urged the government to do more to clean up the air we breathe.

Rosamund is awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Goldsmiths University

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 09:03:41 GMT

On 15th September 2025, Rosamund attended a degree convocation ceremony where she accepted an Honorary Fellowship from Goldsmiths University London. The award was made in recognition of the incredible work Rosamund continues to do within the community and beyond. She was joined by Eclipse Theatre’s former artistic director Dawn Walton and former Goldsmiths Chair of Council Baroness Dinah Caine.

Rosamund meets Goldsmiths art student

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:55:26 GMT

On 10th September 2025, Rosamund met with Goldsmiths art student, Megan Hack. Megan shared her final degree show work which was inspired by Rosamund and Ella. She has created natural dyes as well as dyes out of particulate matter from pollution, and used them to produce these large-scale toxic sublime paintings.

“Ecology has always been part of my practice, I’ve worked very closely with the land, using natural materials. It was just coming to London again when I started considering air pollution and that our environment isn’t just made up of natural things. You’ve got this element of toxicity.”

“To produce the dyes, I’ve been working closely with Epping Forest, in East London, right next to where I grew up, and I’ve been using oak specifically to make this really rich, dark pigment, and also other trees in the area like birch, hawthorn, and some chestnut.”

“I’ve also been using particulate matter, which is the really fine particles in the air, that I’ve been collecting from non-porous surfaces and making pigment from that. So, you’ve got this interesting toxic and natural dye combination on the paintings.”

“Making work about the atmosphere was interesting because it’s invisible and the pollution that happens in the air is a very slow violence; it’s not like one catastrophic event. So, trying to make work about something that is this invisible, toxic atmosphere is really, really, really hard.”

Rosamund meets Cleantech Incubator in Los Angeles.

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 11:50:51 GMT

On 27 August 2025, Rosamund visited Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI). She met with Matt Petersen the President and CEO of LACI and also had the chance to tell Ella’s story to some of the leadership team. She was given a tour of the labs at the La Kretz Innovation Campus by Mike Swords and Nick Albert, seeing all their amazing innovations to help the environment, including the smart home.

Ella’s Law reintroduced in the House of Commons

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:47:32 GMT

On 1st July 2025, Rosamund and her children attended Parliament to hear The Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill, otherwise known as Ella’s Law, being reintroduced in the House of Commons by the former Green party co-leader and London Assembly member Sian Berry.

The bill aims to protect the public against air pollution which is one of the biggest public health hazards of our time and responsible for tens of thousands of premature deaths in the UK.

Ella’s Law is named after Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death on her death certificate. An inquest ruled that air pollution, specifically exposure to excessive levels near her home in London, contributed to her fatal asthma attack in 2013

Speaking in the House of Commons, Sian Berry said British people should have “the right to grow up and grow old without stunted lungs, without preventable diseases like asthma, and without disabling and potentially lethal harm being done to our lungs, hearts and brains by preventable air pollution”.

She quoted a new report by the Royal College of Physicians, which said evidence gathered over the past decade suggested there were now “links between air pollution and almost every organ in the body and the diseases that affect them”.

Families were still losing loved ones, she argued, to dementia, cancer and heart disease made worse by pollution.

The Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill, will get its second reading in the Commons on 7th November 2025.

Clean air bill known as Ella’s Law championed by cross-party MPs – BBC News

Rosamund speaks at roundtable during London Climate Action Week

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:18:55 GMT

On 24 June 2015, during London Climate Action Week, Rosamund took part in an exclusive roundtable event organised by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK, titled, “A Breath of Fresh Air – How Collaboration Is Improving London’s Air Quality”. The event, hosted by the Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Mr Stefan Gullgren, brought together experts in their field, to exchange ideas and break down barriers about enhancing air quality in London, by addressing construction equipment emissions.

Rosamund speaks at the Global Ethical Stocktake ahead of COP30

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 04:13:18 GMT

On 24th June 2025, Rosamund was invited to speak at the European Regional Dialogue for the Global Ethical Stocktake ahead of COP30 later this year. Rosamund discussed climate denial and how to engage communities as well as health – the devastating impact air pollution from burning fossil fuels is having on people’s health. The Dialogues aim to enrich the global narrative in response to the climate emergency, by complementing technical and political processes with an ethical, people-centred perspective on the path to Belém and COP30.

Rosamund joins walk to Parliament Square on Clean Air Day

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:29:43 GMT

On Clean Air Day, 19th June 2025, healthcare professionals across the UK demanded action from the Government to clean up the air we breathe. Delivering a letter to the Government, it is the largest movement of healthcare professionals in the UK to call for urgent and ambitious action to clean up our dirty air and prevent the devastating impacts air pollution has on our health.

Signed by over 400 healthcare professionals – the letter called on the Government to meet World Health Organization air quality guidelines, the international standard to protect public health.

In London, over 100 doctors, nurses, patients and activists met at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) and walk and wheel their way to Parliament Square to deliver the letter to mark Clean Air Day. The event, in partnership with Global Action Plan and Health Equals, was part of activity across the UK to mark Clean Air Day.

Air pollution affects your health from before your first breath until your last. Causing between 29,000 and 43,000 known premature deaths per year, it is the UK’s fourth biggest killer and is linked to a range of health problems at every stage of our lives – from premature birth and effects on organ development in childhood, through to causing heart and lung disease, cancer, diabetes and strokes in adulthood.

New analysis released today on 19th June from the Royal College of Physicians estimates that costs for healthcare, productivity losses and reduced quality of life due to air pollution cost the UK more than £27 billion annually. The RCP’s new report highlights the significant health impacts of air pollution even at low concentrations.

The current UK Government has committed to reviewing its air quality targets, and over 400 healthcare professionals from across the UK have signed a joint letter which urges them to agree to meet World Health Organization air quality guidelines, the international standard to protect public health. Cross party MPs and Lords have confirmed their attendance on Clean Air Day alongside representatives from City Hall and local authorities.

Rosamund joins Imperial College in an Honorary role

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:28:48 GMT

As the Founder, Director, and Trustee of the Ella Roberta Foundation, Rosamund has become one of the leading voices worldwide in the fight for cleaner air. As part of her work she campaigns for stronger air quality legislation and to improve public awareness of the health impacts of air pollution.

Her advocacy has shaped key policies, including her work with the Mayor of London on the Healthy London Partnership and her contribution to expanding London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Within the Environmental Research Group, she serves as a Senior Advisor to the AWAIR project, a pilot project funded by Impact on Urban Health, which installs air quality displays in London neighbourhoods to inform and empower local residents.

Rosamund’s influence has been widely recognised. In 2023, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to public health. She is also a World Health Organization BreatheLife Ambassador and an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association.

Professor Frank Kelly, Director of the Environmental Research Group, highlighted the significance of Rosamund’s appointment:”Rosamund has collaborated with the ERG at numerous events, providing valuable insights and driving knowledge exchange. Through this honorary role, she will deepen her collaboration with the Environmental Research Group and the wider Imperial community, advocating for clean air on a global stage.
With this appointment, Rosamund’s impactful work will further bridge research, policy, and public engagement, helping to shape a healthier future for all.

On her appointment, Rosamund said: “I’m delighted to be working with the prestigious team at Imperial through this Honorary role. Utilising my experience, both as a teacher, researcher and as a global advocate for air quality, I am looking forward to creating meaningful change by bridging the gap between Imperial’s world class research in this field, and the decision makers and members of the public who need to know about the devastating impact of air pollution on our health.”

Read the full article here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/265213/clean-advocate-joins-environmental-research-group/

Rosamund meets Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotheram

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:27:31 GMT

On 11th June 2025, Rosamund travelled to Liverpool to meet with the Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotheram and Counsellor Anthony Burns. The purpose of the meeting was to build a rapport between Rosamund and Steve and to put forward the case for cleaning up the air to protect his citizen’s health.

Interview with Rosamund on Electric Evolution podcast

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:26:36 GMT

On 13th May 2025, Rosamund appeared as a guest on the Electric Evolution podcast, a show which helps educate people on variety of topics regarding climate change, net zero, electrification, carbon reduction and air pollution; it aims to help people to cut through the overwhelm of information to make more informed decisions.

Listen or watch:

https://fullcircleci.co.uk/episode-145-liz-allan-and-rosamund-adoo-kissi-debrah-the-fight-for-clean-air-inthe-uk

Permanent Statue for Ella Roberta Unveiled in Lewisham, London

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:41:39 GMT

Members of the public donated to create a permanent statue of Ella Roberta Adoo Kissi Debrah, which was unveiled today in her hometown of Lewisham. Ella is the first person in the world to have air pollution recorded as her cause of death, and the statue will reside in Mountsfield Park, close to Ella’s home and the South Circular Road, the emissions from which caused her tragic death at the age of 9.

The bronze statue of Ella shows her as she was, happy, confident and full of potential. The height of the statue is 1.37m or 4ft 6” – the same height Ella was when she died. Displayed outside, Ella’s 9-year-old body appears small in the large park and highlights how vulnerable children are to the effects of air pollution. The statue is placed overlooking the City of London and specifically Lewisham Hospital, where Ella sadly spent so much of her time during the last couple of years of her life.

Ella’s mother, Rosamund Adoo Kissi Debrah CBE said:

“I feel incredibly emotional today. Seeing how small Ella looks up there brings it home how much time has passed since she died. Ella would be 21 now, and if it wasn’t for the illegal levels of air pollution near our home, she would be alive today. The statue will be a constant reminder of not just her, her spirit and her warmth, but of the need for us all to continue to talk about air pollution and raise awareness about the damage it is doing to people’s health. We cannot see the toxic air we are breathing in everyday, but hopefully this statue will remind us to stop and think, and for decision makers and politicians to do what is right and clean up the air we breathe.”

The sculptor commissioned to create the piece was Hannah Stewart, she commented:

“I am always struck by how we continue to turn to sculpture to mark significant people, causes and events. Despite the many platforms available to us, sculptures remain an important and powerful way to communicate complex messages and emotions while also being a focal point for grief, celebration, pride and learning.

I hope that this statue of Ella, together with the amazing work that Rosamund is doing, will play a significant role in promoting the importance of clean air for everyone while also offering some comfort to her family and community in their grief. As a mother myself, I have felt particularly connected to this commission and am proud to have played a role in spreading this vital message. I hope Ella’s statue will help raise awareness of the dangers of poor air quality and the importance of clean air for everyone.”

Rosamund went on to thank those involved:

“I would like to thank the artist Hannah Stewart who has been the most thoughtful and gracious custodian of Ella’s statue. We as a family are forever grateful for her care and wonderful talents. Anna Summers who has managed the project for the Foundation so studiously. Thank you to the GLA and Lewisham Council who have contributed, their support is appreciated. But most of all I want to thank those members of the public who have donated most of the money. Our family is beyond grateful to all those people who gave their hard-earned money to the project, it was humbling that so many contributed, and I hope the local community can feel proud of the statue for many years to come.”

Hundreds of people from the local community came to see the statue being unveiled. The choir from Ella’s old primary school, Holbeach School, performed 2 songs (‘Air’ and ‘New Legacy’) which were part of Hope4Justice, created and produced by Trinity Laban with local young people as part of Lewisham’s year as the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture in 2022. The music was written by Mercury Prize nominee singer, composer and producer ESKA. The song ‘Air’ was directly inspired by Ella Roberta, imploring everyone to ‘say her name’. ‘New Legacy’ was the finale of the show, imagining a future Lewisham where young people’s action has brought about positive change.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“This statue is a powerful tribute to the life of a much-missed young Londoner and will also help educate people about the dangers of toxic air. Air pollution is not only an environmental crisis but a matter of social justice, which affects us all, from cradle to grave.

“The Ultra Low Emission Zone and our other air quality policies mean Londoners are now all breathing substantially cleaner air than in previous years – but there is still more to do, and I promise to keep taking action as we build a fairer and greener London for everyone.”

Rosamund attends the ULEZ 1 Year Report launch

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:27:35 GMT

On 7th March 2025, the Mayor of London invited Rosamund to the attend the launch of the ULEZ 1 Year report. The event was an opportunity for the GLA to share the results of the first year of the ULEZ expansion to the whole of London, celebrate the positive impact the ULEZ has had on the health of Londoners, and the role key stakeholders have played in supporting the policy.

Rosamund speaks at the Air Quality Forum in Brussels

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:05:16 GMT

On 26th February 2025, Rosamund travelled to Brussels to attend the Air Quality Forum: Understanding the New European Air Quality Directive and Its Implications. Rosamund, alongside Jeffery Smith, Senior Advisor for Global Clean Air The Ella Roberta Foundation, delivered a presentation, titled, ‘New Insights Leading to the Who Air Quality Guidelines’.

Rosamund meets with Secretary of State, Wes Streeting

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 09:46:15 GMT

On 6th February 2025, Rosamund spent the morning with Secretary of State Wes Streeting. They discussed the impact of air pollution on the nation’s health, over 43,000 premature deaths per year and many more with toxic air contributing to dementia, cancer, heart disease and so on. Ella died from air pollution nearly 12 years ago, but they agreed that in this day and age it is an absolute disgrace that 45 more children (in the last 4 years alone) have died from asthma, all of whom were breathing illegal levels of air pollution. Mr Streeting told Rosamund that he was committed to working together to clean up the air we breathe. She hopes his other Cabinet counterparts in Transport and DEFRA will work with him to tackle this public health emergency. The most vulnerable in our society are contributing the least but suffering the most from air pollution. Rosamund is hopeful that Mr Streeting will do what is right to fix this.

Rosamund opens the Local Government Association’s ‘Health Inequalities’ debate

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 15:02:10 GMT

On 5th February 2025, Rosamund delivered a keynote address at the Local Government Association’s debate, titled: Health inequalities – can councils close the gap? The event gathered leaders from local government, public health, academia and community advocacy to discuss how councils can tackle the growing health inequality gap and improve outcomes for communities.

The other panellists included: Andrew Gwynne MP, Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Professor Kevin Fenton, Professor Bola Owolabi and Jason Stretlitz

Rosamund meets Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 07:34:24 GMT

On 8th January 2025, Rosamund met with Andy Burnham to discuss ways of working together to improve health outcomes for children and young people in Greater Manchester which are worse than the average in the UK.

In Greater Manchester between Jan 2022-Jan 2023, 6482 CYP (0-19yrs) attended A&E due to asthma. 1,346 were admitted.

New Report Finds Child Asthma Deaths Linked to Air Pollution: Rosamund responds

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:35:24 GMT

On 12th December 2024, following the release of new data on child asthma deaths in England between 2019-2023, Rosamund calls on the Government to act now to prevent more senseless child deaths from asthma.

Rosamund’s full statement:

“I grieve for all of those 54 families today who have lost a child to asthma in the last 4 years. Each one of those families is facing Christmas without their child. For anyone with children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, just take a moment to imagine what that must be like for them. And to know that those deaths are completely and utterly preventable. No child should be dying from asthma in our country. One of the most developed countries in the world, no child should be allowed to die, when there is so much more the Government can do to stop it.

“Every child who died from asthma was exposed to illegal levels of air pollution, just like my daughter Ella. Everyday we are breathing in toxic air that is above the air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organisation. The deaths of these children is tragic beyond words, and there are many, many more deaths caused by air pollution in this country. We must legislate to bring our air quality in line with WHO guidelines. The Coroner after Ella’s inquest made it very clear “unless we clean up the air, more children like Ella will continue to die.”

“Enough is enough – no more children must die.

“I say enough is enough and call on this Government, on our Prime Minister and the Health Secretary Mr Streeting in particular, to do what is right and put the health of our children first.

“Unfortunately it does not surprise me that the death rate is four times higher in deprived areas. Those children are contributing the least to air pollution but suffering the most. They are more likely to live on busy roads, taking the bus and breathing in fumes from other people’s cars, they do not own cars. They do not burn wood in their stoves. And yet the injustice is such that their health is suffering most from air pollution – they are breathing in dirty air and they are dying from it.”

The Report:

The National Child Mortality Database released their thematic report ‘Child Deaths due to Asthma or Anaphylaxis’ on 12th December 2024: https://www.ncmd.info/publications/child-deaths-asthma-anaphylaxis-allergy

Key points from the Report that Rosamund references in her statement are:

There were 54 child deaths due to asthma between April 2019 and March 2023. That’s 1 death every 4 weeks (aged 2-17).
All of the 54 children who died had been exposed to air pollution above WHO guidelines.
The death rate is 4 times higher in deprived areas.

Read the full report: https://www.ncmd.info/publications/child-deaths-asthma-anaphylaxis-allergy/

Rosamund addresses student healthcare professionals at St George’s, University College London.

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 09:50:08 GMT

On 10th December 2024, Rosamund gave a talk to student healthcare professionals at St George’s, University College London. The teaching event focused on health inequalities and raising awareness about the impact of air pollution. Rosamund was in-conversation with Professor Debs Harding, Professor of Learning and Innovation for Practice, St George’s School of Health and Medical Sciences.

Q&A Session with Rosamund at The Institute of Health Visiting Conference

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 09:35:21 GMT

On 4th December, Rosamund was a guest speaker at the Institute of Health Visiting Leadership Conference, “Change for the better: Leading towards a fairer and equitable future”, which brought together health visitors, health visiting leaders, policymakers, academics and partners from around the UK. Rosamund shared her story before taking part in a Q&A panel discussion hosted by IHV’s CEO, Alison Morton.

Rosamund’s portrait on display at the National Portrait Gallery

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 04:49:43 GMT

On 12th November 2024, Rosamund was a guest of The National Portrait Gallery for the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize Awards. Rosamund is the subject of a commissioned portrait by previous prize winner, Serena Brown. The portrait will remain on view in the gallery’s collection.

Government ministers apologise to Rosamund over Ella’s death

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 04:47:18 GMT

On 31st October 2024, Rosamund, along with Ella’s siblings, met with Emma Hardy MP, Minister for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The meeting formed part of the settlement of a civil claim brought by law firm Hodge Jones & Allen of Ella’s estate against the three government departments for breaches of Ella’s rights under the Human Rights Act, including her right to life.

A statement issued to her on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for Transport (DoT) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said:

“You have advanced your claim with great dignity and explained your experience of the tragedy and the impact it had on you and your family. Ella’s suffering and death were a tragedy. On behalf of the Government departments who were party to the claim, we again take this opportunity to say we are truly sorry for your loss and to express our sincerest condolences to you as Ella’s mother, to her siblings, and to everyone who knew her. To lose a loved one at such a young age is an immeasurable loss”.

“Your words, both in this litigation and in your public campaigning, have made a considerable impact. You have spoken eloquently about Ella’s life, her suffering and death, your experiences throughout the inquest and the course of the litigation, and your efforts campaigning for better air quality. You have explained how you, and those closest to you, were affected by your experiences, and we wish to acknowledge the impact these experiences had on you and all those who knew Ella.”

During the meeting, Rosamund reaffirmed her commitment to hold the government to account to bring in improved legislation to bring the UK in line with WHO air quality guidelines such as a new Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill known as ‘Ella’s Law’. Rosamund awaits a response to her request to meet with the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to discuss the health implications of air pollution.

Q&A with Rosamund at Sheffield University

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 05:00:53 GMT

Rosamund was a guest speaker at The Grantham Centre Annual Symposium at Sheffield University. She took part in a Q&A panel discussion hosted by Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures co-director Tony Ryan. Rosamund was in-conversation with Tom Hunt, the leader of Sheffield City Council who has staked much of his political capital on cleaning up the toxic air in the city.

Photo courtesy of: Dora Damian

Memorial Service for the life of Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:00:46 GMT

On 8th September 2024 over 200 people attended a memorial service to celebrate the life of Ella Roberta. Rosamund and her family were joined by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of Lewisham, Brenda Dacres, Prof Stephen Holdgate as well as MPs, clean air advocates and healthcare professionals.

A short film of the service can be seen here.

Healthcare Professionals ‘Ride for Ella’ on International Clean Air Day

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:20:27 GMT

Ride For Their Lives are a grassroots collective of healthcare workers who cycle to galvanise action on the air quality crisis. Ride For Their Lives travelled to Lewisham where Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah lived and tragically died from air pollution. The ride began and ended in Mountsfield Park close to Ella’s home. A statue of Ella is currently under development and will reside in the Park to mark her inspiring life. Cyclists travelled through the local community, past Ella’s old primary school and the mural of Ella’s mother Rosamund, who has spent the last decade campaigning, first to prove that air pollution was the cause of her daughter’s death and secondly, to try and raise awareness in order to prevent it from happening to other children. Riders also cycled past Lewisham Hospital where Ella sadly spent so much of her last few years before her tragic death there on 13th February 2013. #RideForElla #CleanAirDay Invest in #CleanAirNow

Olympic Champion Supports Healthcare Professionals on their ‘Ride for Ella’

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:10:49 GMT

Alex Yee said: “I wish everyone the best for the Ride for Ella campaign. Ella was an amazing young girl who tragically died at 9 years old from air pollution. She was born and raised in Lewisham, a place that is very close to my heart and I hope you guys can be a positive catalyst for change.” #RideForElla #CleanAirDay Invest in #CleanAirNow

Rosamund addresses Clean Air South delegates at the University of Southampton

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 02:42:00 GMT

On 16th July, as a guest of Professor Stephen Holdgate, Rosamund visited Southampton where she delivered two talks for Clean Air South, a new partnership to tackle air pollution across central southern England. Rosamund spent the morning with Clean Air South delegates at the University of Southampton’s (UoS) Future Towns Innovation Hub. She then met medical students, nurses and consultants at University Hospital Southampton. At UHS, Rosamund also visited the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton Clinical Research Facility to see trials that are improving treatments for children with asthma and other conditions. She was introduced to Nikita, a 13-year-old who is part of a trial for children with severe asthma.

Rosamund attends the Austrian World Summit

Mon, 20 May 2024 08:01:21 GMT

On 20th June 2024, Rosamund travelled to Vienna to attend the Austrian World Summit, one of the largest climate conferences in the world. During the summit she helped showcase artwork from Dryden Goodwin’s exhibition “Breathe” which highlights the impacts of air pollution and the power of activism.

Breathe:2022 by Dryden Goodwin

Rosamund speaks at the Association of Respiratory Nurses Annual Conference

Mon, 20 May 2024 07:59:00 GMT

On 17th May 2024, delivered a talk, ‘A Mothers fight for clean air’ at the Association of Respiratory Nurses (ARNS) Annual Conference in Brighton, sharing her personal story and campaign work. This was followed by a Q&A discussion with ARNS Chair, Sarah Kearney.

Interview with Rosamund on Media Storm podcast

Mon, 20 May 2024 07:58:39 GMT

Ros appeared as a guest on Media Storm’s podcast series launch: assessing news coverage of ULEZ – how it has been viewed through a political lens rather than a climate or human one, and whether Islamophobia and racism towards Sadiq Khan underpin disproportionately hostile coverage of the policy.

Listen to the full episode here:

Q&A + PANEL DISCUSSION WITH ROSAMUND AT THE WIRED HEALTH FESTIVAL

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:04:30 GMT

Rosamund was a guest speaker at the 2024 Wired Health Festival in London. She discussed the right to clean air, sharing her own personal story in a Q&A session with Greg Williams as well as participating in a panel discussion: ‘The Climate Crisis Is A Health Crisis’ alongside The Lancet’s Marina Romanello and Designer, Thomas Heatherwick.

Photo by Craig Gibson

Launch Of Ella’s Reading Corner

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:38:20 GMT

On 5^th March 2024, Rosamund and Ella’s siblings attend Holbeach primary school for the launch of Ella’s Reading Corner. The funds were raised by the PTA who organised a bike ride with parents and pupils and funds donated by ERFF.

Ella’s reading corner has been in the pipeline for a number of years. Ella died in Year 4 in 2013. She was a phenomenal reader and had a reading age of 15 when she died.

Ella was known to support other pupils in her class with their reading. Her favourite authors were Darren Shan and David Walliams, she also loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Ella’s siblings and I will continue to make donations of books to the reading corner. We hope all who use it will be able to experience the joy of reading just like Ella Roberta did.

Rosamund named Time Out’s Community Hero of the Year

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:37:20 GMT

In an article announcing Rosamund’s award, Time Out’s India Lawrence wrote, ‘Despite the dogged nature of campaigning, Adoo-Kissi-Debrah has remained committed to her cause, even in the face of critics. That’s why we’ve named her Time Out’s Community Hero of the Year.’

Read the full article here:

https://www.timeout.com/london/city-life/rosamund-adoo-kissi-debrah-clean-air

Rosamund receives a CBE

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:49:47 GMT

Rosamund attended the ceremony at Buckingham Place with members of her close family.

Speaking from the Palace, Rosamund said:

“It was a very poignant day. Ella’s siblings and I were incredibly touched that King Charles knew about Ella’s story and the work that the Ella Roberta Foundation has been doing to raise awareness about air pollution and its threat to human health. We agreed that I will write to him to see where he can support us further. It was an honour of a lifetime to visit Buckingham Palace, it has bolstered my drive to keep going with my campaigning to ensure every child has a right to breathe clean air.”

Find time to take the Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill through the House of Commons

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 07:32:17 GMT

Please sign our petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/639320

INTERVIEW WITH ROSAMUND ON NEWSNIGHT

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 07:31:05 GMT

On 3 rd July 2023, Rosamund was interviewed on Newsnight on the eve of a judicial review of ULEZ.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BfAZsTqPRd62nFEXWBgg8-UM-9dhPTqb/preview

BLACK FEMALE ICONS OF LEWISHAM VOTE

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 13:24:43 GMT

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah received the most votes from the public in the Brockley Max “Black Icons” competition in recognition of her “tireless work campaigning to introduce the Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill – or “Ella’s law”. The Brockley Max Committee said that this mural would be “a testament to both Rosamund and Ella”

Black icons winner announced

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah honoured with international lung health award

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 10:33:46 GMT

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah has been honoured with the annual European Lung Foundation (ELF) Award 2022 for her outstanding work campaigning for everyone’s fundamental right to breathe clean air.

https://europeanlung.org/en/news-and-blog/the-elf-award-2022-goes-to-clean-air-campaigner-rosamund-adoo-kissi-debrah

The Conversation: Women Raising The Alarm On Air Pollution

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 03:03:42 GMT

On 5th September 2022, Rosamund appeared on BBC World Service alongside Bhavreen Kandhari to discuss Air Pollution, her own personal story and what needs to be done to tackle this. It’s available on BBC Sounds to listen again.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct37mb

RESPONSE TO AIR QUALITY TARGETS

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 15:54:26 GMT

Founder of the Ella Roberta Foundation, Rosamund Adoo Kissi Debrah, has criticised the Government’s low ambition in air quality target setting; “These unambitious targets, that do not need to be reached for another 18 years, condemn another generation of children to breathe dirty air,” she said.

She called for:

More ambitious air quality guidelines, tied to the 2021 WHO Guidelines.
A broader scope of pollutants to be included in the Environment Act, not just PM2.5.
Prioritising hotspots to reduce inequalities in exposure to air pollution.
A better consultation that properly informs the public of the health effects of air pollution.

“I am responding to this public consultation in my personal capacity as a mother of three children, one of whom tragically had her life cut short because of air pollution,” she said. In December 2020, a coroner’s inquest concluded that air pollution exposure was a medical cause of her daughter Ella’s death. The Coroner’s official Record of Inquest states that ‘air pollution was a significant contributory factor to both the induction and exacerbations’ of Ella’s asthma, that ‘she was exposed to levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Particulate Matter (PM) in excess of World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines’, and that ‘the principal source of her exposure was traffic emissions’.

In her response to the Government’s public consultation, Rosamund highlighted the Coroner’s Prevention of Future Deaths Report, completed after the Coroner’s inquest into her daughter’s death. The report makes clear that national air pollution targets that are in line with WHO Guidelines would significantly reduce the number of deaths from air pollution in the UK.

The Government’s ambition of reaching WHO Guidelines set in 2005, by 2040, is too low, and she suggests that the interim target for a PM2.5 concentration target of 10 μg m-3 should be achieved by 2030, with a longer-term target of 5 μg m-3 to be achieved by 2040.

Rather than using the 2021 Environment Act to show leadership, they are proposing a concentration target for PM2.5 that is less ambitious than what has already been legislated in other developed economies. Scotland, Australia and Canada already have legislated limits for PM2.5 that are equivalent to, or lower than, what the UK is proposing to meet in 18 years’ time.

The lack of ambition is also evident in the narrow scope of the consultation. There is strong scientific evidence that PM2.5 poses significant risks to human health, however there are other important pollutants that also pose significant health risks and which are not mentioned in the public consultation. PM10 and NO2 are two pollutants that are major components of the traffic emissions that her daughter Ella was exposed to – legal limits and WHO Guidelines levels for these pollutants are at times being exceeded in areas of the UK.

The Government could have used this opportunity to bring forward targets under the Environment Act for pollutants other than PM2.5, but they have not done so – and no justification for not doing this has been provided. In fact it is not clear how, or when, legal limits for pollutants other than PM2.5 will be revised now that the UK’s air quality standard setting is no longer embedded within the EU regulatory framework. There are very serious concerns that air quality regulation in the UK is no longer fit for purpose, and this will ultimately put lives and livelihoods in jeopardy.

Aside from the lack of ambition of the targets, there is also a concern that inequalities in exposure to air pollution will remain, with people in deprived neighbourhoods remaining significantly more exposed to health impacts than more affluent communities. Reducing pollution hotspots and areas that are disproportionately affected should be a priority.

Finally, the reason the Government should reconsider its level of ambition is that the process for setting the air quality targets has been rushed, non-transparent and marred by unacceptable delay in the release of the Impact Assessment and Detailed Evidence Report. The length, technical language and lack of meaningful detail in these documents make them completely impenetrable and do not enable the general public to engage with this consultation in an informed way.

ART & AIR POLLUTION

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 09:33:49 GMT

The Foundation has collaborated with two artists to highlight the link between air pollution and human health, as part of We Are Lewisham. The exhibition of paintings by Sarah Stirk and Gina Allen is open for two weeks this summer, as part of the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture 2022 and will also host a day of children’s talks.

Airborne is an audio-visual art work that combines microscopic images of pollution in children’s spit, infrared photographs of children revealing veins and data maps showing illegal levels of pollution in London. A soundscape, interviews with parents and children affected by asthma and sculptures are exhibited to make the invisible threat of air pollution visible. With thanks to Bertha Foundation and Arts Council England.

Drawing Air focuses on the life of Ella. Artist Gina Allen worked with Ella’s family to produce a series of images of Ella, using dirt collected from the wheels and exhausts of cars.

Nearly 10,000 people in London (around 36,000 UK wide) die early ever year from long-term exposure to air pollution. Two million Londoners, including more than 400,000 children, live in areas which exceed legal limits for air pollution. Children are the most vulnerable to this pollution as permanent, lifelong damage can be caused to their developing bodies.

While acknowledging the sources and types of air pollution are many and various, both urban and rural, the material used highlights road traffic as one source of air pollution, inviting us to consider the human behaviours that influence the quality of the air that we breathe.

INQUEST & CORONER’S REPORT

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 16:08:49 GMT

In December 2020, London, in what is believed to be a global first, Deputy Coroner Phillip Barlow ruled that Ella Adoo Kissi Debrah died as a direct result of air pollution. Several months later, the Coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths (‘PFD’) report which expressed his concern about the lack of legally binding air quality targets, lack of public information and appropriate doctor training.

Inquest:

In what is believed to be a global first, Deputy Coroner Phillip Barlow ruled that Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a 9 year-old girl who lived just 25m from the South Circular in South London, died in February 2013 as a direct result of air pollution.

Philip Barlow said he believed air pollution made a “material contribution to Ella’s death”. She was exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in excess of World Health Organisation guidelines. The level of air pollution she was exposed to was therefore excessive. The principal source of her exposure was traffic emissions.

He noted also that there was a “recognised failure to reduce the level of nitrogen dioxide to within the limits set by EU and domestic law, which possibly contributed to her death”. He added that Ella’s mother “was not given information about the health risks of air pollution and its potential to exacerbate asthma”. The lack of information also possibly contributed to her death.

The Coroner ruled that “Air Pollution was a significant contributory factor to both the induction and exacerbation of her asthma”.

He concluded: “Ella died of asthma contributed to by exposure to excessive air pollution.”

The medical cause of death was listed as:

1a) acute respiratory failure
1b) severe asthma
1c) air pollution exposure

Ella’s mother, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, said immediately after the verdict that she was in “absolute shock”.

“Up until the point when the coroner says his verdict, you’re not sure it will happen. And then in the moments afterwards, as it sinks in, you think about the amount of change it can bring to so many children. I thought about the children all around the world who this might help, because I receive letters from people as far away as India about the problems they face with air pollution. It’s going to take a while for me and my family to absorb this news; it’s been such a journey to get to this point.”

She added: “We’ve got the justice for Ella which she so deserved, but there are still illegal levels of air pollution now, as we speak, so this matter is far from over. What I would like to see happen as a result of this inquest is better education about air pollution and for more serious steps to reduce pollution to safe levels. We talk about working toward cleaner air in eighteen months or several years’ time, but that’s not fast enough. I would like to see a public awareness campaign undertaken. There needs to be clear and concise information, so people can understand it. I still think there’s a lack of understanding about the damage it does to young lungs, especially.”

Rosamund’s lead lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen, Jocelyn Cockburn said:

“When Rosamund came to see me nearly 5 years ago she was determined to find out why Ella died and I am so pleased for her and her children that she now has the answer to that important question. I am sure she will take time to absorb the Coroner’s detailed reasoning but his conclusion is clear – that excessive levels of air pollution caused her death.

“It has been a long legal journey and throughout we have been met with scepticism that it is possible to link air pollution to an individual death. I have always found this reticence surprising given the universal acknowledgement that air pollution causes tens of thousands of deaths in the UK every year. This case has broken through that mindset.

“Because of this ruling, air pollution can no longer be ignored and overlooked as a factor that has a real impact on individual human beings, especially the vulnerable. The two week investigation into what happened to Ella brings the air pollution debate right down to the micro-level. I was shocked to learn that air pollution had never been examined in a coroner’s inquest before or listed as a cause of death. I now expect that air pollution will be examined in the context of other deaths.

“In terms of raising awareness of air pollution, this case has told the human story behind the statistics and makes it much more difficult for the authorities to ignore the call to clean up our air. That is Ella’s legacy. ”

“I would like to pay tribute to Rosamund and her family for the determination they’ve shown in bringing Ella’s story and such a public health issue to the fore at great personal cost. I don’t think I’ve met anyone stronger than Rosamund and I am proud to have worked with her for so many years”.

***Full press release available here.

Prevention of future deaths report

In April 2021, Philip Barlow, Assistant Coroner for South London, made the report following the Inquest into Ella’s death which concluded in December 2020. The report will be sent to Government departments and other bodies.

The Coroner’s report identified three areas of specific concern (at Section 5 of his PFD Report) for which there is an ongoing risk to members of the public of illness and death from air pollution.

The first recommendation is aimed at the three government departments involved in the inquest (Defra, DfT and DHSC). The Coroner said that the Government needed to pay particular attention to reducing air pollution levels to concentrations safe for human health. The PFD report identifies as its first concern:

(1) “The national limits for Particulate Matter are set at a level far higher than the WHO guidelines. The evidence at the inquest was that there is no safe level for Particulate Matter and that the WHO guidelines should be seen as minimum requirements. Legally binding targets based on WHO guidelines would reduce the number of deaths from air pollution in the UK.”

This follows on from the Inquest conclusion in December 2020, in which the Coroner ruled that “the overwhelming conclusion … is the health risk caused by air pollution and the urgent need to improve air quality”. He also highlighted the need for “co-ordinated action” within the Government1 .

Key witnesses to the Inquest, including Dr Claire Holman and Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, had expressed the need for setting health-based targets for air pollution reduction.

Writing in his Reasons accompanying the PFD Report, Mr. Barlow voiced his “matters of concern” flowing directly from his conclusions at the inquest, most importantly “the undeniable health problems caused by not following the WHO guidelines in setting national air pollution targets, specifically on particulate matter”.

He said “[t]he discrepancy between national targets and WHO guidelines was central to the inquest and addressed by most of the witnesses.” Under existing law the permitted annual mean levels of PM10 are double those recommended by the WHO guidelines as the minimum requirements whereas for PM2.5 the UK legal limits are more than double the WHO guideline limits.

He continued: “There was no dispute that the level of particulate matter pollution continues to be a major issue of public health concern. The number of deaths associated with air pollution is extremely high… There is a very clear need for action to be taken to prevent the continuation of this circumstance.” 2

A second recommendation directed at Central Government Departments, the Mayor of London and the London Borough of Lewisham, relates to low public awareness of the sources of information (such as UK-Air website) about national and local pollution levels. The report states:

(2) “Greater awareness would help individuals reduce their personal exposure to air pollution. It was clear from the evidence at the inquest that publicising this information is an issue that needs to be addressed by national as well as local government. The information must be sufficiently detailed and this is likely to require enlargement of the capacity to monitor air quality, for example by increasing the number of air quality sensors.”

Mr. Barlow’s accompanying comment was:

“I am concerned at the comparatively low level of access to public information, such as the UK-Air website. Leaving this as a local issue is clearly not resulting in people accessing relevant information, and it is therefore a concern that needs to be brought to the attention of central government.”

The evidence from the inquest revealed that there was a significant lack of information available to people regarding air pollution levels in their local area. The information that was provided was insufficiently publicised and had very few subscribers. Similarly, there was a lack of public awareness around the health risks associated with air pollution and a deficit of advice about steps that can be taken to minimise exposure to air pollution. Rosamund and other witnesses at the inquest stressed the need for improved public information.

The Coroner’s final concern is that “adverse effects of air pollution on health are not being sufficiently communicated to patients and their carers by medical and nursing professionals”. Mr. Barlow identified three levels of professional organisations responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate education, as well as professional guidance who he recommends should address this failure.

(3)

a. “Undergraduate. I am informed that undergraduate teaching is the responsibility of the GMC, Health Education England and the NMC.
b. Postgraduate. I am informed that postgraduate education is the responsibility of the Royal Colleges, in this case the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of General Practitioners, and the NMC.
c. Professional guidance. In this case relevant organisations are NICE and the British Thoracic Society.”

He also sent the recommendation to the DHSC and Faculty of Public Health for information.

Mr. Barlow expanded on this in his logic statement with the following:

“Air pollution was not discussed as a possible causative factor [throughout Ella’s illness] even though Ella was seen by GPs and specialists in several specialist hospitals. It is an issue that needs to be raised with a large number of organisations responsible for medical education, which I have listed in the report.”

The evidence from the inquest revealed that despite Ella having very severe asthma, the cause of which was under investigation by medical specialists in several hospital air pollution was never considered and therefore Rosamund was not advised of steps that could have helped reduce Ella’s exposure.

This recommendation echoed his concern raised in the Coroner’s Conclusions in December 2020 when he said, “There was, therefore, an alarming disconnect between the message being sent out about the overall health effects of air pollution, including the number of deaths it causes, and the actual advice being given to patients and the public.”

These three recommendations point to a need for the Government and other public bodies to take a more health-focused approach to air pollution. Health should be prioritized in order to prevent future unnecessary deaths from air pollution.**Full press release available here.

THE FOUNDATION AT COP26

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:52:32 GMT

In October 2021, Rosamund led a delegation of mothers at COP26, to deliver a letter to Alok Sharma, the President of COP. The letter was addressed to Heads of State and delegates of the climate event, and was signed by nearly 500 groups from 44 countries. It was one of the biggest mobilisations of parents on any issue ever.

In the letter the parents called for an end to Governments financing new fossil fuels, due to the toxic pollution caused by burning them. They also highlighted the impact of air pollution on the health of children, and played a visibly moved Sharma a soundscape of a child struggling to breathe.

The World Health Organisation also issued a COP26 special report, The Health Argument for Climate Change, which they dedicated to Ella Roberta: In memory of Ella Kissi-Debrah – and all other children who have suffered and died from air pollution and climate change.

Other stories of the Foundation at COP26:

The Times

ITV News

Energy Live News

Articles about COP27:

World Health Organization

The Global Herald

CLEAN AIR: WOMEN’S WORK?

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:50:24 GMT

To celebrate International Women’s Day, the Foundation convened a webinar, bringing together some of the top names in air pollution campaigning; Dr Maria Neira, Director of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health Department at the World Health Organisation; Baroness Jenny Jones, a Green Party peer, who has introduced Ella’s Law, the Clean Air Human Rights Bill to the House of Lords; Bhavrine Khandari, who co-founded Warrior Moms, a collection of mothers from all over India fighting air pollution. They joined Rosamund in a panel chaired by Penny Hose to discuss whether clean air campaigning is women’s work. Watch the webinar here.

A TED TALK BY ROSAMUND

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:48:11 GMT

“Breathing clean air is every child’s human right,” says grassroots campaigner Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, sharing the heart breaking story of her nine-year-old daughter, Ella Roberta, whose asthma was triggered to a fatal point by air pollution. Now, Adoo Kissi Debrah is on a mission to raise awareness about the harmful effects of unsafe air on our health and the planet. In this moving talk, she details why governments have an urgent responsibility to take action on air pollution — and ensure that all children have a chance to live full and healthy lives. – TED talk is here.

CLEAN AIR & HEALTH SUMMIT

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:47:28 GMT

This meeting of health professionals, convened by the Mayor of London, focused on the Coroner’s report from Ella’s death. Professor Chris Whitty said “air pollution is everybody’s problem” but it can be solved.

ONE YEAR ON…

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 16:59:23 GMT

“The WHO’s latest air quality guidelines would cut global premature deaths linked to PM2.5 pollution by 80%. We can and should aim to meet these guidelines by 2030” Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah

APRIL 20 2022: It is one year since Coroner Philip Barlow published the Prevention of Future Deaths Report following the landmark ruling that air pollution contributed to 9 year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah’s death from severe asthma.

The PFD Report recommended three key areas of focus: the implementation of legal air pollution limits based on WHO guidelines, a public awareness campaign on the dangers of air pollution to human health, and greater awareness and education of the medical community on the dangers of air pollution to patients.

A year later (watch our press conference here) little has changed to prevent future deaths like Ella’s. DEFRA is now carrying out a public consultation on UK air quality targets. However, it proposes to meet the WHO’s older 2005 guidelines by 2040, rather than the WHO’s 2021 guidelines based on the latest science on protecting public health.

The Ella Roberta Family Foundation and Hodge Jones & Allen held a press conference in London with four leading experts on air pollution and its danger to human health, where they discussed advocacy, achievability, and accountability in the fight against air pollution and asthma.

Please see below for statements from each of the speakers ahead of the press conference:

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, clean air advocate, BreatheLife Ambassador and mother of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the UK, and likely the world, to have air pollution listed as a cause of death on her death certificate:

“Ella passed away from severe asthma which was exacerbated by excessive levels of air pollution on the South Circular nine years ago. The government’s Environment Act gives us a chance today to change the course of the 40,000 lives that are lost prematurely each year in the UK due to air pollution. Up to 24 of these deaths are children who die from asthma. That’s almost a whole school class of children. Up to half of these deaths occur in London alone.

“Last year, Coroner Philip Barlow set out three recommendations for the government (among others) on preventing future deaths like Ella’s. One of those was following the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for air quality. The WHO’s latest air quality guidelines would cut global premature deaths linked to PM2.5 pollution by 80%. We can and should aim to meet these guidelines by 2030, to protect lives and reduce health care costs. “Unfortunately, the government’s proposed air quality targets under the Environment Act fall short of what the WHO’s science says is necessary. This is unacceptable. Air pollution is a public health crisis, and we know how to fight it, with better public transport, air quality monitoring and public awareness, and an end to car idling and wood burning. I hope the public follows me in calling on the government to step up and save lives.”

Professor Stephen Holgate, a clinical professor and consultant physician at the University of Southampton, special advisor to the Royal College of Physicians on air quality, and a UK Research and Innovation Clean Air Champion, and an expert at Ella’s inquest.

“Improved public health must be at the core of the UK’s air quality strategy. Evidence continues to accumulate showing that air pollution levels far below the current UK limit values initiates and accelerates a wide range of non-communicable chronic diseases. This is especially so for fine particulates (PM2.5) and NO2 which have a wide range of sources. The time is now right to enact the recommendation in Philip Barlow’s Prevention of Future Death Report to accept the WHO health-related limit values and achieve these as soon as possible and certainly by 2030 as shown possible by the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College. There are no safe levels of air pollutants, but if the UK was to meet the WHO limits for PM2.5 and NO2 air pollution by 2030, each year to 2030 compared to 2018, there would be 388,000 fewer asthma symptom days in children, 149,000 fewer adults with chronic phlegm, 3,100 fewer cases of coronary heart disease, 2,700 fewer hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases and 98,000 life years gained.”

Guy Mitchell, Solicitor at Hodge Jones & Allen and a member of Rosamund’s legal team during the second inquest into Ella’s death in 2020:

“Despite the urgent concerns raised by the Coroner last year, the Government has made slow progress on reducing air pollution and its current plans are not up to the task. Ella’s Inquest showed that inaction by successive governments led to lethal levels of air pollution. The Coroner particularly noted with concern the disparity between legal targets and the best science available in the WHO guidelines. It is deeply regrettable that the present government plans to follow in this deadly tradition by not basing the critical PM 2.5 limit on the latest WHO guidelines and only requiring compliance by 2040.”

Professor Frank Kelly, Battcock Chair in Community Health and Policy at Imperial College London in a new global centre of air pollution research. Presides over experimental research examining the toxicity of airborne particulate matter, diesel and biodiesel exhaust emissions.

“Poor air quality is not only exerting a greater impact on established health challenges, such as respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but is also associated with a broader number of disease outcomes, including adverse birth outcomes, diabetes, neurodevelopment and cognitive function. Solving our air pollution problem is absolutely vital but presents a huge challenge. Success will depend upon the concerted action of a host of parties – including policy makers at a local, national and international level. The 2021 Environment Act is the UK’s opportunity to demonstrate leadership in this vital area and to give its citizens air quality that is fit to breathe.”

Research from Imperial College London shows that 99.2% of the UK can achieve WHO-10 by 2030 with the government’s planned and anticipated policies. The full report can be accessed here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/234354/who-quality-safety-targets-achievable-across/amp/