In a groundbreaking collaboration, the University of Melbourne and the University of Tasmania have jointly invested in the establishment of “AirHealth,” a pioneering start-up set to revolutionize the provision of integrated, nationwide services delivering real-time, location-specific air quality information. This visionary initiative is poised to address the pressing needs of millions of Australians sensitive to various air hazards, such as pollen, pollution, and bushfire smoke.
The infusion of initial funds, graciously provided by both institutions as pre-seed funding, will pave the way for the seamless integration of the University of Melbourne’s esteemed Pollen Forecast Service with the University of Tasmania’s cutting-edge AirRater service. This integration lays the groundwork for the inception of AirHealth, an entity set to emerge as a singular, dependable source of information on diverse environmental health hazards. This comprehensive service will encompass real-time and forecasted pollen levels, air pollution insights, and information on conditions conducive to thunderstorm asthma. Moreover, the platform is designed to deliver personalized and timely notifications to users, tailoring information based on their current geographical location.
Since its inception in 2012, the University of Melbourne’s suite of Pollen Forecast apps—encompassing Canberra Pollen, Melbourne Pollen, Sydney Pollen, and Perth Pollen—has been instrumental in providing daily counts and forecasts of grass pollen levels. This collective effort has effectively served over 800,000 users residing in major Australian cities. Simultaneously, the University of Tasmania’s AirRater, supporting approximately 100,000 users across the nation, has played a pivotal role in offering crucial information on pollens and air pollution. Users have benefitted from insights enabling them to identify personal triggers for symptoms, coupled with timely alerts about deteriorating air conditions. The collaboration of these distinguished services under the unified AirHealth banner signifies a concerted effort to enhance accessibility, quality, and timeliness of air quality and pollen-related information for all Australians.
As part of its strategic expansion plans, AirHealth is poised to establish Australia’s most extensive pollen monitoring network, with intentions to significantly augment the number of operational sites in 2024. This ambitious network will feature state-of-the-art automated counters utilizing advanced machine learning algorithms to identify pollen grains—a technological leap poised to revolutionize the availability of pollen-related information.
Steering this technological merger into the realm of a dynamic start-up are Dr. Edwin Lampugnani from the University of Melbourne and Professor Fay Johnston from the University of Tasmania. Dr. Lampugnani underscored the significance of proactive measures in mitigating the impact of prevalent conditions such as hay fever and asthma, noting, “This merger will empower more Australians to make informed decisions for their health. The integrated services will ensure all Australians understand how their symptoms relate to the environmental conditions, helping them better manage their health and derive greater satisfaction from life.”
Professor Johnston, at the helm of the environmental health research group at the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research, drew attention to the economic ramifications of air pollution. She emphasized, “The impacts of air pollution from traffic, vehicles, combustion heaters, and bushfire smoke cost the Australian economy more than $6 billion each year, contributing significantly to the community burden of heart disease, strokes, and lung conditions like asthma.”
Professor Moira O’Bryan, the Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne, highlighted the profound significance of the new service against the backdrop of escalating bushfire episodes. She stated, “With increasingly severe bushfire episodes, the threats to our air are increasing. The new service will provide much more comprehensive air quality information than previously available in Australia, enabling those at higher risk to reduce the health impacts from unsafe air.”
In conclusion, the pre-seed funding generously provided by both universities ensures the continued growth of AirHealth into a robust national network, promising a positive daily impact on the health and well-being of tens of thousands of Australians grappling with pollen and related allergies. This collaborative endeavor serves as a testament to the transformative potential of fundamental research translating into tangible benefits for the community, while underscoring the immense value of partnerships with esteemed institutions, exemplified here by the collaboration between the University of Melbourne and the University of Tasmania.
