Dr Catia Nicodemo

Clean air policy is fundamentally a child health intervention, as air pollution worsens asthma and can limit lifelong lung development. Evidence shows that stringent clean air measures can improve children’s lung function within years, particularly among disadvantaged groups, while generating wider economic benefits through lower healthcare costs, improved productivity, and better long-term health.

Digital health is expanding far faster than healthcare spending, attracting record investment and transforming care delivery. While these technologies can improve access and efficiency, they also raise costs, create integration challenges, and risk widening health inequalities if the benefits fail to reach the patients who need them most.

Britain is a country full of standing water. A record heatwave is the spark. Together they could light a season of disease the islands have never had to fear before.