The assessment of the health impacts of air pollution on the urban areas of Angoulême, Poitiers, and Niort presented in this report is fully in line with the guidelines of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Air Quality Plan, which sets out strategies to prevent, reduce, or mitigate the effects of air pollution. The short-term health impact of air pollution was calculated in terms of morbidity (hospital admissions in 2001 and 2002) and premature mortality (for the years 1999 and 2000). Long-term effects were also estimated. Regarding the short-term health impact, the number of hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory causes attributable to pollution amounts to 19 cases in Angoulême, 11 in Niort, and 19 in Poitiers. Regarding long-term effects, the impact is estimated at 25 deaths in Angoulême, 19 in Niort, and 23 in Poitiers. Calculations of health benefits associated with various air pollution reduction scenarios show that a 25% reduction in the annual average of the pollutant in question is the most effective measure. This study shows in particular that health effects occur at pollution levels lower than those for which measures are currently taken, and that the most effective actions would therefore be those that combine daily reductions in emissions at the source with a decrease in the number of pollution peaks.