Anthony Hedley was a true hero of community health

It is not often that it can be said of a life that it made a difference, even where people have had the advantage of real power to change things, such as political position. Pressed to name one on a global scale, many would answer Apple's Steve Jobs, by virtue of innovation. On the smaller stage of Hong Kong, few would deny that in matters of public health Anthony Hedley, who died last week, made a difference by virtue of persuasion.

The relentless campaigner over more than two decades against air pollution and smoking combined good science with tireless advocacy to focus the minds of officials and lawmakers and influence policy on tobacco control and air pollution.

Hedley retired as chair professor of community medicine at the University of Hong Kong in 2010, the same year he set up the Hedley Environmental Index, now a standard reference for writers on environmental issues, out of frustration with government inaction over rising pollution levels and outdated air-quality objectives.

The index is his legacy following his death from neuroendocrine cancer, which also killed Jobs. It uses the government's own emissions data and links it to World Health Organisation guidelines to track the impact of air pollution on public health and its cost to the community.

Hedley himself best articulated what drove a public health academic to such activism: "There is incontrovertible evidence that pollution levels currently experienced throughout the year in Hong Kong are causing an epidemic of health problems arising from damage to lungs, heart and blood vessels. Hong Kong's pollution is a significant cause of premature death from cardiopulmonary disorders."

Many people will also identify him with the rapid reduction in smoking rates in Hong Kong. Again he broke new ground by conducting surveys that revealed public support for smoke-free areas and increased tobacco taxes.