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,…
Ghana
Experts say missing engine part in most Ghanaian vehicles polluting air, sickening people
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…
Ghana spends billions treating chronic diseases but fails to tackle the air pollution causing them
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…
Diesel, dust and death: How Ghana’s reliance on trucks over rail is fueling a public health crisis
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….
Ofankor – Nsawam Road: Dust, Diseases and Deaths
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 pay the price as the Ofankor-Pokuasi-Nsawam highway reconstruction runs two years late
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…
Agbogbloshie pollution resurges as Accra Metropolitan Assembly, communities launch model clean-air response
In this report, Joyce Gyekye explores how residents of Old Fadama in Accra are coping with the return of dangerous air pollution linked to activities at the Agbogbloshie e-waste site. Using community-collected air quality data, residents and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly are working together to address rising health concerns and develop solutions that experts say…
Agbogbloshie pollution resurges as Accra Metropolitan Assembly, communities launch model clean-air response
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…
Diesel, dust and death: How Ghana’s reliance on trucks over rail is fueling a public health crisis
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…
How the theft of a small engine part is fueling pollution, crime, and a deadly health crisis
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…
Ghana’s buses are filling with toxic fumes — and experts say passengers are paying the price
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…
Residents pay price as Ofankor-Nsawam Highway project delays; health workers warn of rise in air-pollution related illnesses
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…
Accra’s Toxic Air Hits Poorer Families Hardest, Widening Health Gap
Accra’s toxic air pollution is hitting poorer families the hardest, widening health gaps and deepening environmental injustice across the city. Jennifer Ambolley reports in this social media Video. To read more about this story click this link: https://thechronicle.com.gh/ghana-accras-toxic-air-hits-poorer-families-hardest-widening-health-gap/ This story was a collaboration with New Narratives, with funding from the Clean Air Fund. The funder…
Accra’s Toxic Air Hits Poorer Families Hardest, Widening Health Gap
By JENNIFER AMBOLLEY Agbogbloshie, Accra – Every morning, long before the sun burns through Accra’s haze, Doris Tey opens her stall here among a street of traders. She sells plastic basins and buckets, stacking them high in neat, colourful towers that brighten the grey air around her. By noon, the market is alive with the…
Experts Link Rising Breast Cancer in Ghana to Air Pollution, Poor Women Most at Risk
By Jennifer Ambolley AGBOGBLOSHIE, Accra –Here in the notorious informal community on the edge of the capital city, Efua Mensah along with the rest of the market sellers, wakes up to a haze.The smoke from fires – cooking and waste burning – never leaves the 46-year-old cancer survivor. It curls over the wooden stalls and…
New Narratives Kicks of Phase Two of Groundbreaking Air Pollution and Climate Change Journalism Project in Ghana
New Narratives kicked off phase two of our Clean Air Reporting Project in August. The project will continue its successful partnership with Joy News, one of the country’s leading news organizations. Joy reporter Michael Asharley will be Joy’s New Narratives air pollution/climate change beat reporter. Michael will also host the Joy/New Narratives weekly radio program…
NN Journalist Albert Oppong-Ansah Wins Prestigious Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Journalism
New Narratives is proud to share that our reporter Albert Oppong-Ansah, editor with Ghana News Agency, has won the prestigious Eric and Wendy Schmidt Prize for Excellence in Science Journalism. Albert won the award for three stories that he did with New Narratives as part of our groundbreaking clean air reporting project with support from…
Climate Change Is Making Life Harder For All Farmers – For Ghana’s Farmers With Disabilities It Can Mean Devastation
By Jennifer Ambolley Summary: By Jennifer Ambolley BALUNGO, Upper East Region –Asoke Douglas Aganawini rises with the sun each day in this remote community in the far northern part of the country. Climate change has pummeled farmers here with unpredictable rainfall and higher temperatures. But for Asoke it’s been particularly hard. The 45-year-old began losing…
South Africa Makes Big Improvements in Public Transport. Can Ghana Do the Same?
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. …
Photos: Four Out of Ten Households in Ga South Engage in Open Burning of Waste
The open burning of waste in residential areas affects many people in Ghana as it pollutes the air and limits air quality. This age-old habit remains rampant in many communities across the country….
Dusty Roads Causing Dangerous Respiratory Infections Across Rural Ghana
Ebenezer Danso, a 19-year-old battling severe asthma, recently came perilously close to losing his life….