By JENNIFER AMBOLLEY with New Narratives POKUASE, Accra- Every evening, as the sun began to fade over her neighborhood, Grace Antwi would prepare dinner on her narrow porch. The charcoal stove sat low to the ground, thin grey smoke curling into the air. For years, this was how cooking was done — her seven-year-old daughter…
Margaret Awuni sits close to a heap of burning wood, her face masked by despair. Thick smoke curls around her as she coughs again and again as the wood burns down to charcoal that she then sells to workers here. Awuni, 48, has been doing this work since she lost her job as a trader…
By Albert Oppong-Ansah Not too long ago, every morning would have found Linda seated next to her friend Ruth Odom, at their small stalls at Accra’s Kantamanto market, in one of the largest secondhand clothing markets in the world. Before them would lie piles of clothes in different colours and sizes – polo shirts,…
By Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith Summary Adinboyi Abugre leads a small group of reporters and health workers down a dusty path to his home – past unfinished cement block structures, close-packed houses, and a wide stretch of earth where his family grows food during the rainy season. Inside, Abugre taps his wife on the shoulder….
For 15 years, Abass Salifu toiled deep underground at illegal mining sites around Kumasi. The work paid well. He built two houses and provided comfortably for his wife and two children. But in 2025, everything changed. He began coughing uncontrollably. Soon, he was coughing blood. By January this year, Salifu had died. “I wish I…
Every year, Ghanaians take millions of trips across the country in long distance buses. For most, it’s an affordable and convenient way to travel. But what many don’t know is that the air they’re breathing inside these buses could be making them sick. Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith reports in this social media Video. To read…
Ghana’s air pollution crisis is getting worse in ways many people don’t see. The growing theft of catalytic converters and other small engine parts isn’t just petty crime—it’s fueling a dangerous underground market with real public‑health consequences. When these components are removed, cars and motorbikes pump out toxic emissions far above legal limits, filling the…
By Jennifer Ambolley TEMA, Accra —Before dawn, Christabel Addo, would lift the shutters of her provision shop in Community 8. By 6 a.m., the narrow roadside was already choked with trotros belching dark smoke, taxis idling impatiently, and heavy-duty trucks grinding past on their way to the nearby industrial area. “Once the traffic starts, the air changes,” says the 46-year-old former Junior…
Dirty air is quietly damaging the hearts of millions of Ghanaians. When we think about air pollution, we often picture coughing, asthma, or smoggy skies. But what is far more dangerous and far less visible — is how polluted air is silently attacking the heart and blood vessels. Jennifer Ambolley reports in this social media…
Experts are warning that many vehicles in Ghana are operating without catalytic converters—an essential engine component that reduces harmful exhaust emissions—contributing significantly to air pollution and serious health risks. Without this device, vehicles release toxic gases directly into the atmosphere, worsening air quality and increasing cases of respiratory illnesses, especially among drivers, roadside traders, commuters,…
By Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen with New Narratives Every breath in Ghana’s cities now carries a silent threat. According to experts, thousands of vehicles are moving without catalytic converters — a small but essential device that filters dangerous gases before they reach the air we all breathe. Many drivers remove it for what they mistakenly believe will…
By Kingsley E. Hope The science is clear: every breath of polluted air is an assault on the human body. Tiny particles in dirty air are so minute that they pass deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Doctors say these particles can damage the heart, raise the risk of stroke and diabetes, and…
Every day, diesel fumes choke Ghana’s highways. Thousands are dying. Children breathe air 100%more polluted than kids abroad. Ghana had the solution decades ago-railways that could move freight cleanly and efficiently. But broken promises and stalled projects left the country with less than 1% of cargo on rail. The cost? Ghana’s health, roads and future….
Communities along the Ofankor–Nsawam road are facing serious health risks as dust from road construction contributes to rising respiratory illnesses and other diseases among residents. Prince Owusu Asiedu reports in this social media Video. Ofankor-Nsawam road: Dust, diseases and deaths This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Clean Air Reporting Project. Funds…
Residents along the Ofankor–Pokuasi–Nsawam highway are paying the price for a reconstruction project that is two years behind schedule, with prolonged disruption to daily life and local livelihoods. Prince Owusu Asiedu reports in this social media Video. To read more about this story click this link: https://www.adomonline.com/residents-pay-price-as-ofankor-nsawam-highway-project-delays-health-workers-warn-of-rise-in-air-pollution-related-illnesses/ Nsawam Ofankor road dust This story was a…
Communities in and around Accra’s Agbogbloshie are launching a model clean-air response with support from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to confront a resurgence of dangerous air pollution that harms health and could serve as a blueprint for other cities. New Narratives’ Joyce Gyekye reports from Agbogbloshie for GBC online. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o7vFx3ONIA-o3dk-51tBueVmUyEE-Xkd/view?usp=share_link This story was a collaboration…
By Joyce Gyekye As Pollution Returns to Agbogbloshie, the Metropolitan Assembly and Nearby Communities Take Action in What Experts Say Could Be a Model For Cleaning Toxic Air Across the Country. OLD FADAMA, Accra – In 2021, government cleared the Agbogbloshie e-waste site, once condemned as one of the world’s most toxic places. But four…
By Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith Summary BALUNGU CHECKPOINT, Upper East Region – Abdul Malik eases his heavy truck – a 12-wheel trailer hauling a 40-foot container – into a lower gear as it strains under its load. As he approaches this checkpoint in the region’s Talensi District, the roar of the 18-year-old truck’s engine gives way…
When Isaac Peprah bought his car, a Honda Accord, he thought he had finally escaped the long tro-tro commutes between East Legon and Spintex that had taken hours from his day. But barely a week after he bought it, a group of young men from a makeshift mechanic shop flagged him down near a junction…
Adeeza’s breaths came in short, rapid bursts. As the bus rumbled from Bolgatanga toward Accra each inhalation felt like fire in her lungs. For the asthma patient, these moments signaled mortal danger — her body screaming that something was triggering her compromised respiratory system. Adeeza scanned the bus, desperately searching for the regular culprits. Strong…
The Ofankor-Pokuasi-Nsawam Highway was once a vital transportation artery for the local economy, but legal battles and government debt owed contractors have delayed the reconstruction by two years as surrounding communities face a range of problems. Key among them is their health. Experts warn the delayed project has become a major health hazard for over…
