BY ALEX ADI
As part of efforts to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions in Ghana specifically in Greater Accra by 30 per cent by 2030, a comprehensive plan dubbed the ‘Breathe Cities’ initiative has been launched in Accra.
The initiative aims to improve public health by intensifying research and monitoring on emission sources and health implications that come with air pollution and carbon emissions.
Research conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), says air pollution is a major environmental threat and one of the main cases of death among all risk factors, ranking just below hypertension, tobacco smoking, and high glucose.
WHO estimates that, globally, air pollution is responsible for about 7 million premature deaths per year from ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, which mainly affect children in low- and middle-income countries. Air pollution is a threat also for public health economy as it imposes enormous global health costs, representing 6.1% of the global gross domestic product (more than US$ 8 trillion in 2019).
The ‘Breathe Cities” initiative spearheaded by the Clean Air Fund aims at empowering communities in the Greater Accra to combat air pollution and climate emissions.
The Country Lead for Clean Air Fund in Ghana, Mr. Desmond Appiah, called for an All-hands on deck approach to help increase the availability of data on air quality and concentration forecasts.
The ‘Breathe Cities’ initiative will provide Accra with crucial support to strengthen its air quality data collection efforts. This enhanced data will offer a more comprehensive understanding of the city’s air pollution levels, enabling the development of targeted solutions in the country.
