In the Ayawaso West Municipality, a concerning health trend has taken center stage. Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI) continue to surge, claiming the top spot among the 15 leading causes of morbidity for the third consecutive year. In 2023 alone, the municipality recorded a staggering 25,700 cases of URTI, almost doubling the figures from 2021,…
Ghana
Highway construction health hazard: Ofankor-Pokuase-Nsawam residents appeal for dust relief
The Ofankor-Pokuase-Nsawam highway has become a dust-choked battleground, leaving residents and workers grappling with air pollution….
Ghana, Burkina Faso and Bangladesh among countries with worst air quality – 2023 World Air Quality Report
The 6th Annual World Air Quality Report, meticulously compiled by IQAir, has shed light on the concerning state of global air quality in 2023….
Accra is Africa’s 10th Most Polluted City – 2023 World Air Quality Report
In the heart of Ghana, where the vibrant streets of Accra pulse with life, an invisible enemy is lurking in the air – pollution….
Northern Ghana to experience another bout of dust pollution – Ghana Meteorological Agency warns
If you live in Bolagatanga, Yendi, Nalerigu, or neighbouring areas, prepare yourselves for another bout of dusty air conditions as the Ghana Meteorological Agency issues a warning about an approaching plume of dust….
U.S. government announces ambitious plans to make Ghana a Regional Training Centre for air quality
In a groundbreaking announcement, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer R. Littlejohn declared the United States’ commitment to transforming the University of Ghana into a regional training centre for air quality….
Clean Air: MPs spearhead legislation to tackle rising pollution
Three MPs are leading an ambitious charge to address the escalating air pollution affecting the nation….
Air pollution – Enemy of children, elderly and the vulnerable
In Ghana, a growing menace lurks in the air, imperilling the most susceptible members of the population—children and the elderly. This silent and invisible adversary, air pollution, has raised alarms among health experts who urge both the government and citizens to take immediate action….
Ghana’s quest for net-zero emissions gets a boost from electric motorcycles
In the bustling streets of Accra, a regular day unfolds with cars snarled in traffic and motorcycles deftly navigating the labyrinthine maze. Motorbikes seem to be everywhere you look, serving a multitude of purposes from deliveries to daily commutes. Yet, amid this vehicular symphony, a stark contrast emerges….
Ghana’s air quality crisis: Asthma burden worsens as air quality further deteriorates
In the bustling streets of Accra, the daily spectacle of cars ensnared in traffic jams is a sight all too common. Yet, amid this urban hustle, a disquieting reality looms – a shroud of dense, noxious fumes billows from the exhaust pipes of countless vehicles. “These harmful emissions infiltrate the lungs of millions, regardless of…
Experts worry rising air pollution is driving a spike in TB infections and deaths
When Mary Akorley Kotey started coughing incessantly, it didn’t occur to her that it could be tuberculosis. The 60-year-old trader at the Kaneshie market in Accra had already beaten the scourge, known more commonly as TB, 30 years before. Last year, after months of sleepless nights with excruciating chest pain that ravaged her body, she…
Cookstove laboratory poised to contribute to improving air quality, emission reduction
Clean Cooking Alliance, the capacity of cookstove laboratories, including that of IIR-CSIR was built to meet international standards. “When you bring your stove here for testing, the results will be the same or similar to the result you will get from other labs in the world,” he said. He stated that the lab had become…
Asokwa residents fear retribution for reporting air pollution
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…
Air pollution causing major health burden, but given little attention
Diseases caused or exacerbated by air pollution including heart disease, stroke, asthma, lung cancer and dementia are increasingly straining health systems, says a Former World Health Organization (WHO) official. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, a Former Chief Scientist at WHO, in her foreword captured in the State of Global Air Quality Fund 2023, a Clean Air Fund latest report said…
Eco tax ‘good’ but, must be progressive to achieve targets – Experts
The government’s quest to levy petrol and diesel vehicles owners GHS 100 annually is a good initiative but must be progressive to encourage timely maintenance and reducing emissions. Mr Desmond Appiah, Ghana Lead for Clean a Fund told the Ghana News Agency, “By progressive I mean there should be an emission standard where vehicles in…
Innovative new businesses tackle Ghana’s growing plastic menace
This time of year has always been a nightmare for Mavis Adjare. Seasonal floods have been disruptive for the 45-year-old who makes her living collecting plastic waste and selling it to recyclers. This year that has changed. Mavis picks 100 kilogramme bags of plastic waste easily here at the confluence of the Kpeshie River and the…
Ghana takes steps to reduce methane pollution in agriculture, waste management
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…
Health crisis in Ghana’s fishing industry: Women face dangers from smoking fish
Ghana’s fishing industry serves as the lifeblood of its economy, offering livelihoods to two million people, equivalent to one in every 16 Ghanaians. Artisanal fishers, spanning from Aflao to Cape Three Points, contribute significantly by supplying eighty percent of the nation’s consumed fish. However, within this vital industry, experts highlight a particularly perilous aspect: the…
Sacrificing vision for income: women pay a high price for smoking fish
Esi Ashun knew a time would surely come that she would have severe vision problems. She had seen it happen to her mother, who is now bedridden and blind, and her late neighbour. Both women had made their livings from fish smoking here on Ghana’s coast. But Esi didn’t expect to lose her sight so…
Breathing to death
Stephen (not his real name) is a security officer with one of the utility companies in Accra. He grieves that his days are certainly numbered. Understandably, a robber can terminate his life any day. But that is not the source of his anguish, it is the very air he breathes to keep his job. …
Air Quality: Makola, Agbogbloshie among five polluted hotspots in Accra
Results from improved air quality monitoring in Accra have revealed that Nima, Makola, Agbogbloshie, Chorkor and Madina Zongo Junction are the five most polluted hotspots in Accra. These areas have recorded the most consistently poor-quality air standards over the period, with their sources mainly being soot from open waste burning and emissions from vehicles. Professor Kofi Amegah, the Breathe…