Prestigious BMICH became a hub of intellectual discourse on July 27, 2023, as Senior Professor Ajith de Alwis took the stage to deliver an invited presentation at the 136th Anniversary International Medical Congress. The captivating presentation, titled "The Air we breathe from Industry 1.0 to Industry 4.0 - Shaping our lives and Life Span," offered attendees a profound exploration into the dynamic relationship between air quality evolution and its influence on human longevity.
He emphasised that the introduction of oxygen into Earth's atmosphere led to the emergence of life as we know it, with successive industrial revolutions driven by human creativity significantly impacting our lives and longevity. Industries, transportation, and mobility have shaped our atmospheric quality, with shifts from Industry 1.0 to Industry 4.0 making pollution less visible but persistent. While air pollution affects health and lifespan, advances in understanding disease causation and mitigation are unevenly distributed globally. Industry 4.0 offers potential solutions, considering pollution's transition to invisibility and the urgent need for proactive measures to combat environmental threats like climate change.