Liberia’s new public health law, which was passed by the House of Representatives in 2022, is currently being debated in a special session by the Senate where it is facing a barrage of opposition from abortion opponents. A provision in the bill, which contains a range of other public health elements, would make abortion legal up to 18 weeks of pregnancy as long as it is done by a doctor, the most liberal in Africa….
WEIJA, Accra – For close to a year, Evans Antwi had been feeling unwell. His breathing was labored, and he couldn’t sleep. He often felt a tightening in his chest, and he suffered persistent headaches. Unsure what was happening to him, Evans managed his symptoms with over-the-counter medication. That was until he started coughing out blood. The…
Tamale (N/R): Lamnatu Seidu works six days a week in this shea butter processing centre here in Sagnarigu District. The 52-year-old mother of five is shrouded in smoke as she roasts nuts in a traditional roaster fueled by firewood and shea cake. She coughs and wipes her red eyes every few minutes. The smoke makes…
Smoking fish has long been a dangerous job for the women and children who labor over toxic smoke. Many develop blindness, asthma and other illnesses preparing the food that we rely on. But traditional smoking can also harm us. Smoking adds pollutants to the fish that can impact our health. Currently, health experts are calling…
Agbogbloshie (G/A) April 25, GNA- Baby Hawa peers sleepily from the lappa strapping her to her mother’s back. Her mother, Mariama Issahaque, fries yams that she sells to residents and workers here. One-year-old Hawa looks sickly. Her faint cry is broken up by a weak cough. Mucus drips from her nose. The smoke from Mariama’s…
Here in one of Africa’s biggest cities commuters have all the same needs as they do across the continent. But compared to other bustling cities, including Ghana’s capital, Accra, commuters here have a major advantage: modern public transport. Among the taxis, cars and motorbikes that ply this city’s roads are a fleet of sleek buses…
The Ofankor-Pokuase-Nsawam highway has become a dust-choked battleground, leaving residents and workers grappling with air pollution. The stretch spans more than thirty kilometres and ferries thousands of commuters daily. After enduring years of a road plagued with potholes, this road rehabilitation has become a new inconvenience for the community. Stephen Agyekum, a resident, expresses his…
Asokwa Municipality, Ashanti Region – A culture of silence has descended on this industrial area of the Ashanti Region, as residents and health workers say they fear complaining about air pollution that is impacting their health, will lead to repercussions by the government and the institutions they work with. Residents say the air pollution from a…
New Narratives is pleased to to support the reporting of leading Gambian journalist Mustapha K. Darboe of the trial of Ousman Sonko, a former lieutenant of Gambia’s dictator president Yahya Jammeh, in Bellinzona, Switzerland….
At 55, Richard Acquah’s lungs are damaged from long exposure to dust, factory smoke and vehicular fumes from his lifetime profession as a taxi cab driver at Tema Community One taxi station. Doctors have advised him to change jobs if he wants to live….
Ghana is working to reduce methane pollution in agriculture and waste management. This is in line with the country’s mitigation actions of its climate plan to ensure air quality and public health, unlock carbon finance and create jobs. This is being done through Alternative Wet and Drying (AWD) strategy – a rice farming technology that…
Noami Mansah Anim was just six years old when she died. The little girl had battled asthma for years, her tiny body wracked by the struggle to get air into her lungs. On a cold dawn morning in 2019 she finally succumbed. Her mother Abena Anim is still overwhelmed with grief. “Anytime Naomi got an…
Journalists with at least three years experience are invited to apply to join New Narratives as reporting fellows for one year projects on a range of topics including governance, democracy, human trafficking, gender-based violence, climate change, pollution, biodiversity and land rights. Funding is provided by Swedish International Development Assistance, the US State Department, Wellspring Philanthropic…
**POST FILLED. WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS***Location: Monrovia, Liberia New Narratives is seeking an experienced independent journalist to lead our journalism projects in Africa. Must be a strong team leader who can mentor our dedicated team of journalists to the highest standards of journalism. Time: Full Time (40 hours a week) Remuneration: $24,000 – $36,000…
Job Description Job Title: PT Editorial Consultant Job Location: Monrovia, Liberia Time: 2-3 days a week over four months Remuneration: competitive New Narratives seeks a highly experienced editor to support and mentor our Liberia team in journalism production and project management skills. Deadline: January 31, 2024. To Apply: Send CV, cover letter and links to…
Though it has not received much attention until now, air pollution has become a huge challenge around the globe, with significant implications for human life. The last few years have been hard on Saeed Jafat and his family. The 45-year-old maize farmer has no irrigation system or underground water supply. He depends entirely on the once-a-year rainy…
At first it wasn’t clear to the family members what had killed their beloved father. Dr Ato Atobrah, a retired lecturer, had been taking a nap in his bedroom. Several hours later they found his lifeless body. Footage from a closed-circuit television revealed the killer. The 70-year-old had awoken when smoke poured into his room…
Plastic waste is projected to rise to 116m tonnes annually by 2060, six times more than the 18m tonnes of waste produced in 2019. The main driver of rising plastic consumption in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70 per cent of the population is under 30, is rising income and population growth. Plastic waste is also projected to almost…
Researchers are utilizing satellite imagery to monitor air pollution levels and sources of emission in Accra. They are leveraging the power of multi-spectral visible bands of Landsat 8 satellite imagery to map out areas with poor air quality by targeting Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5. A PM 2.5 is a tiny piece of solid or liquid particles with…
When his mother fell ill and started coughing incessantly, Kojo Ansong and his siblings thought it was a minor infection that would go away with some over-the-counter medication. It didn’t. Sixty two-year-old Christiana Ntiamoah’s coughs became raspier, more frequent and she sometimes coughed up blood….
Israel Nkegbe never imagined a time when he would feel afraid to leave his house. Once a strong and commanding chief police inspector he now struggles just to breathe. The world outside his house is filled with dangers: toxic air pollutants that could trigger an attack that takes his life. A year ago the 63-year-old…
