Story By: Rebekah Awuah | rebekahawuah@gmail.com
Everyone is guilty of one form of pollution or another – from the factory operator to the fishmonger to the driver with a weak car engine. Most air pollution is created by people, it takes the form of emissions from factories, cars, planes, or aerosol cans. Second-hand cigarette smoke is also considered air pollution. Pollution is one of the contributors to premature deaths in Africa, outpacing that of malaria and HIV. Yet it appears for many African governments, addressing air pollution is not a pressing concern.
From its research, the W.H.O says, one in eight of today’s global deaths is a result of exposure to air pollution. Over 45,000 African children under the age of five according to reports, die annually due to air pollution, which is one of the highest regional child mortality rates in the world.
“Air pollution, just like the climate crisis, threatens our health and our prosperity. Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people’s nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs” said US Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie Sullivan.
The EPA Act, Act 490, therefore, mandates the EPA Ghana to co-manage, protect and enhance the country’s environment and seek common solutions to global environmental problems. To achieve this goal, the Agency collaborates with government agencies and other institutions to take action to reduce air pollution and bring transformative change to lifestyles. “The partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA and other stakeholders, will help the government of Ghana meet its 2030 pledge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the Climate change agenda,” Ambassador Sullivan added.
In Ghana, the Environmental protection Agency with the support of the World Bank, the University of Ghana, the US EPA and the US Embassy in Accra have installed three new state of the art air quality monitoring sites at the University of Ghana, the St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Basic School at Adabraka and the premises of the US Embassy here in Accra.
“Pollution data measured at these sites will be used by EPA Ghana to create strategies that target major pollution sources to improve air quality and health in Accra”, said Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Executive Director of EPA Ghana.
Current air pollution conditions characterized by more than fifteen (15) years of pollution data collected by EPA Ghana and supported with measures from the new monitors, according to reports present an unacceptable health burden for the people of Accra. Ghana’s situation is dire and must not be taken for granted.
“In the Ghanaian context, the economic cost associated with air pollution is estimated at US$2.5bn or an equivalent of 4.2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (World Bank Country Environmental Analysis, 2019),” Mr. Kokofu said.
Mr. Emmanuel Appoh, the Local Focal Person and the WHO Temporary Advisor on Air Quality Guideline Development, said the EPA, in partnership with stakeholders have implemented interventions to reduce the concentrations of particulate matter of effective size of 2.5 micrograms from 78 micrograms per cubic meter to 44 micrograms per cubic meter. He, however, said: “We have to work harder to get to the 35 under target three and then 25 under target two of the WHO requirement.”
These high-quality instruments complement a number of low-cost air quality sensors, which are located in residential, industrial, commercial, and roadside areas. Data from all three monitoring stations will enable government agencies to inform the public about the current level of air quality and steps the public can take to reduce exposure to pollution.
“We have resolved to create massive awareness and we urge the media to help us in this drive.” said the Executive Director of the EPA Henry Kokofu. This is because in 2015, the EPA estimated that 2,800 lives were lost due to the effects of air pollution and that the number could increase to 4,600 by 2030 if urgent actions are not taken”.
For every equipment, regular maintenance is key to ensuring production is operating at 100% efficiency at all times. EPA Ghana hopes to replicate the initiative to all sixteen regions of the country. Air pollution kills millions of people every year. Clean and profitable solutions are what stakeholders are calling for.
