{"id":40,"date":"2026-04-06T22:10:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T16:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/127.0.0.1:8080\/?p=40"},"modified":"2026-04-19T17:06:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T11:06:32","slug":"whats-hidden-in-every-breath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/?p=40","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Hidden in Every Breath?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MoveGreen\u2019s Work with Bishkek Schools to Raise Awareness on Air Pollution and Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the spring of 2025, MoveGreen began activities on awareness raising on air quality in schools of Bishkek: a focused educational initiative in four schools in Bishkek (#16, #66, #92, and #108). This program, aimed at students aged 10\u201315, was designed to raise awareness and to equip young people with the tools and knowledge to understand, measure, and act on air pollution in their own environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative is grounded in one central idea: that children are among the most vulnerable to air pollution\u2014and that their early understanding of these issues can help protect their health and the health of their communities, now and into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Schools? Why Now?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Air pollution is the second leading cause of premature death globally, and in Kyrgyzstan, it is the most serious environmental risk to public health. In 2021 alone, air pollution was linked to more than 8 million deaths worldwide (State of Global Air Report, 2024). In Kyrgyzstan, PM2.5 concentrations exceed WHO recommended limits by a factor of 4.2 (IQAir, 2024), leading to a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and chronic respiratory conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children are particularly susceptible: their developing lungs and immune systems, combined with more time spent outdoors and higher respiratory rates, put them at greater risk. Yet awareness of the health impacts of air pollution remains limited\u2014both among the public and in schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MoveGreen\u2019s educational program seeks to fill that gap, helping young people understand what air pollution is, how it affects the human body, and what can be done to reduce exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building Knowledge and Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In each participating school, we began by forming student environmental activity groups in collaboration with school leadership. These groups became the core audience for a three-part training program that combined theoretical knowledge with hands-on learning. The modules included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Understanding Air Quality<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Students explored key concepts like particulate matter (PM2.5), the sources and types of urban pollution, and how to monitor air quality. Participants took part in interactive team-based activities including icebreaker games, brain activation exercises, and the AERO QUIZZ, which featured 11 creatively designed environmental tasks (e.g., term puzzles, \u201cmyth or fact\u201d questions, and visual challenges).These sessions directly supported environmental education goals by increasing ecological awareness, encouraging civic engagement, and inspiring students to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Air Pollution and Health<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Led by a practicing pulmonologist, this session focused on the relationship between air pollution and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Students learned how even short-term exposure to particulate matter can trigger respiratory infections or asthma attacks\u2014and how long-term exposure increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. They also examined local health statistics, learning that NCDs are now the leading cause of death in Kyrgyzstan, and that a significant number of these illnesses are preventable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. DIY Air Purifier Workshop<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The final module was practical and empowering. Students constructed their own low-cost air purifiers using fans and HEPA filters\u2014learning not only about the science of filtration but also how to take tangible action in environments where air quality is poor. Each school built at least two functioning prototypes, now installed in classrooms as both educational tools and active protection. Using an air quality sensor, they conducted field observations to visualize the invisible problem of air pollution and tested the effectiveness of the air purifiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA Window of Opportunity\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why focus on teenagers? Because adolescence is a critical window for developing healthy behaviors and awareness that can last a lifetime. Research shows that many chronic illnesses linked to air pollution begin to develop in adolescence, making early prevention key. By involving students directly, we also empower them to become agents of change in their families and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were deeply inspired by the engagement, curiosity, and leadership of our student participants. Many have taken the initiative to share what they learned with their peers and families\u2014multiplying the program\u2019s impact beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Video Message from the Field<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To bring these stories to life, we collaborated with partners to produce a short video about the NCDs. It features messages from health professionals\u2014offering solutions on how to mitigate the impact of air pollution on health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the video<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program is implemented by PA \u201cMoveGreen\u201d with the support of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) within the framework of the project \u201cNature-based solutions for enhanced resilience to COVID-19 and urban air pollution in the Western Balkans and Central Asia\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MoveGreen\u2019s Work with Bishkek Schools to Raise Awareness on Air Pollution and Health In the spring of 2025, MoveGreen began activities on awareness raising on air quality in schools of Bishkek: a focused educational initiative in four schools in Bishkek (#16, #66, #92, and #108). This program, aimed at students aged 10\u201315, was designed to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"aqca_lang":"en","aqca_translation_group":40,"aqca_translation_partner_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42,"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions\/42"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aq.movegreen.kg\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}