Improved air quality monitoring in Accra has identified Nima, Makola, Agbogbloshie, Chorkor, and Madina Zongo Junction as the top five most polluted areas in the city.
These locations consistently have poor air quality due to soot from open waste burning and vehicle emissions.
Professor Kofi Amegah, the Breathe Accra Project Lead, emphasized that these pollutants and particulates are harmful to human health.
Data collected over four months of monitoring indicated that pollution in these areas exceeded the recommended World Health Organization standards throughout the day.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) categorizes air quality as ideal or good when it falls within the range of 0 to 50. AQI from 51 to 100 is considered moderate, with some health concerns for sensitive individuals, such as children under 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 explained that the deployment of more than 30 sensors was enhancing the capabilities of the Environmental Protection Agency’s monitoring stations. This expansion enabled a broader area of the city to undergo continuous monitoring for air quality.
While the monitoring system has not yet reached the international best practice of having sensors within every five-mile radius, the upgraded monitoring infrastructure provides real-time data on air quality. This real-time data aids in investigations to identify the sources and causes of pollution, facilitating remedial actions.
Regarding green spaces, Professor Amegah shared findings from a recent study he conducted. The study revealed a significant decline in green spaces, which include tree cover, grassy areas, and parks. These green spaces act as the “lungs of the city” and have considerably diminished over the past two decades.
“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 residents residing in these exposed environments, face an increased risk of developing heart-related diseases and lung cancer over the medium to long term.
Data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for the first half of 2023 revealed that asthma, a condition primarily attributed to poor air quality, ranked as the second most recorded non-communicable disease (NCD). Dr. Efua Commeh, the Acting Programme Manager for Non-Communicable Diseases at GHS, clarified that this data indicated a rising number of people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases like asthma. Pollutants also increased the likelihood of children contracting upper respiratory infections like the flu, which could trigger asthma symptoms.
Inhaling dust and soot particles could result in various health issues, including lung dysfunction, heart diseases, cancer, damage to nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs, potentially leading to premature deaths.
Regarding the health burden, information obtained by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed that the National Health Insurance spent approximately US$14,976,000 annually on treating conditions related to NCDs among 500 hospitalized patients.
Desmond Appiah, the Country Lead of Clean Air Fund, reiterated the importance of collaboration among leadership, law enforcement agencies, and the public to maintain clean air. He emphasized that working together and making evidence-based decisions, coupled with targeted actions, would reduce and eventually eliminate waste burning while improving transportation methods.
A shared objective of ensuring clean air for everyone could serve as a catalyst to secure funding and investments in sectors that promote air quality improvements while delivering multiple co-benefits.