Enhanced air quality monitoring in Accra has unveiled a concerning trend, pinpointing Nima, Makola, Agbogbloshie, Chorkor, and Madina Zongo Junction as the city’s five most severely polluted areas.
These locations have consistently registered subpar air quality standards over an extended period, primarily due to soot generated by open waste burning and vehicular emissions.
Professor Kofi Amegah, the leader of the Breathe Accra Project, emphasized that these pollutants and particulates pose significant health risks to the local population.
Data compiled from over four months of monitoring has revealed that pollution levels in these areas remain elevated throughout the day, surpassing the recommended standards set by the World Health Organization.
According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), optimal or good air quality typically falls within the range of 0 to 50 on the index. AQI levels ranging from 51 to 100 are considered moderate, with potential health concerns for a small subset of individuals, particularly young children under the age of five.
“For instance, AQI for Agbogbloshie on Wednesday 6th September 2023 was between 150 and 200, which is unhealthy for all groups of people,” Prof Amegah said.
He noted that the deployment of over 30 sensors is enhancing the capabilities of the Environmental Protection Agency’s existing monitoring stations. This expansion in monitoring coverage encompasses a larger portion of the city, ensuring continuous surveillance of air quality.
While the monitoring network has yet to reach the international benchmark of having sensors within every five-mile radius, the improved monitoring system provides real-time data on air quality. This data is instrumental in conducting investigations to identify the sources and underlying causes of pollution, enabling prompt remedial actions.
Regarding green spaces, Professor Amegah shared findings from a recent study he conducted, revealing a significant decline in green spaces over the past two decades. These green spaces, including tree cover, grassy areas, and parks, serve as the ‘lungs of the city,’ but their presence has substantially diminished.
“These greens purified the air, but we have removed almost all. We need to act fast by planting trees before it is too late,” he cautioned.
Mr Alex Johnson, the Head of Transport, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, said: “There is a high concentration of pollutants wherever there is high population and high volume of vehicular traffic at the same time.”
“As vehicles move slowly, fuel burning becomes inefficient resulting in high emissions of air pollutants. Also, open burning of waste in these areas is quite common, so I’m not surprised at the results of the monitored data.”
He emphasized that various groups, including market women/traders, “truck pushers,” head porters (kayayei), patrons, drivers, pedestrians, and local residents living in these exposed environments, face a heightened risk of developing heart-related diseases and lung cancer in the medium to long term.
Statistics derived from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for the first half of 2023 reveal that asthma, primarily caused by poor air quality, ranks as the second most commonly recorded non-communicable disease (NCD). Dr. Efua Commeh, the Acting Programme Manager for Non-Communicable Diseases at GHS, clarified that this data implies a growing number of individuals suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as asthma. Pollutants in the air also increase children’s susceptibility to upper respiratory infections like the flu, which can trigger asthma symptoms.
The inhalation of dust and soot particles poses significant health risks, potentially resulting in lung dysfunction, heart diseases, cancer, nerve damage, and harm to vital organs like the brain, kidneys, and liver, ultimately leading to premature deaths.
In terms of the healthcare burden, information obtained by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicates that the National Health Insurance expends an annual sum of US$14,976,000 on the treatment of NCD-related conditions among 500 hospitalized patients.
Mr. Desmond Appiah, the Country Lead of Clean Air Fund, reiterated the imperative need for collaboration among leadership, law enforcement agencies, and the public to preserve clean skies. He emphasized that working collectively and making informed decisions based on evidence, along with targeted actions, would help reduce and eventually eliminate waste burning and enhance transportation methods.
A shared objective of ensuring clean air for all can serve as a catalyst for securing financing and investments in sectors that improve air quality measures and yield numerous co-benefits.