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…

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…

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…

Clean Air: Ghanaian MPs spearhead legislation to tackle rising pollution

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…