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…
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…
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. …
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…
Three MPs are leading an ambitious charge to address the escalating air pollution affecting the nation. With a private members bill in the works, they aim to elevate clean air as a fundamental human right amid Accra’s rapid urbanisation and the surge of pollution from various sectors including transport, industry, and agriculture. While government has…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Wood dust has become a silent killer causing a range of health problems….
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…
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….
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….
Ato-Kwamena Dadzie has worked with the most influential news organisations in Ghana in the course of his more than 20-year career. He is recognized as a newsroom leader who enjoys training and mentoring journalists. Ato joins New Narratives with experience in newsroom leadership and the management of donor-sponsored media development programmes. He holds a Master…
New Narratives is pleased to call for applications from leading Ghanaian journalists to join our project supporting fact-based, people-centered journalism on issues of air pollution in Ghana. Air pollution kills 6.7 million people around the world every year. 91% of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Air pollution is the second biggest…
New Narratives is thrilled to announce a new project with our partners at the Center for Innovation and Development (CJID) to support fact-based, people-centered journalism on issues of air pollution in Ghanaian media with support from the Clean Air Fund….
Job Location: Accra, Ghana Full Time Deadline: June 28th, 2023 The Center for Journalism Innovation and Development and New Narratives invite applications for a newly created role in our Ghana team to lead editorial output and manage partnerships supporting journalism on air pollution. This role will suit an entrepreneurial, senior journalist and team player with…
