The Portfolio Manager at Breathe Cities, Dr Elvis Kyere-Gyeabour says data on the deaths from air pollution in Ghana may be understated and might even exceed public estimates.
The recent State of Global Air 2025 report confirmed that air pollution remains a significant threat to lives in Ghana, with 32,500 confirmed to have died in 2023.
The figure is a nearly two percent rise from the previous year, which saw about 31,900 deaths in the country attributed to air pollution.
A recent study also noted that air pollution is now the leading cause of death in the country, a point Dr. Kyere-Gyeabour also asserted in an interview with Channel One TV.
He argued that air pollution deserved more attention financially and policy-wise, given the spike in the number of fatalities that have been recorded as a result and the threat it poses to the lives of Ghanaians.
“It’s more deaths than from accidents, more deaths than from malaria and HIV, if you look at the time period. What we’re telling ourselves is that we have all these different budget lines that are targeting things that don’t kill as many people as air pollution does. It means that air pollution is not getting the needed attention, mainly because it’s either too scientific or people are unaware,” he said.
He believes the already significant number of deaths reported from air pollution might be lower than the actual number.
“If you ask me, I still think more people die from air pollution than even the estimates we have, because we do not have all the data and all the numbers aligned.
Solutions for the vulnerable
Data from the State of Global Air 2025 report indicates that persons in lower-income areas are most at risk of air pollution.
In Ghana, 4,541 deaths amongst children under 10 years old were linked to household air pollution, mostly from cooking with solid fuels, like wood, charcoal and dung, while 12,790 deaths were recorded amongst persons aged between 50 and 85.
Low and middle-income countries like Ghana, where a large percentage of the population still use solid fuels like charcoal and wood to cook, contributed to 90% of deaths worldwide.
According to Dr. Kyere-Gyeabour, clean air interventions need to prioritise the vulnerable in society who often prefer cheaper, high-emitting options, putting them at higher risk of air pollution-related conditions.
“What can we do is a very good thing for all of us to look at because, at the end of the day, even if one person is dying from air pollution, it’s a big problem. It’s important that we think of two ways, how we’re going to reduce the emissions that are resulting in the air pollution and how we’re going to increase coping strategies, especially for vulnerable people,” he said.
“If I’m a fish smoker, that’s my livelihood. I may not be able to stop smoking fish, but can I do it in a cleaner way? Can I use cleaner fuel? Can I have some protection? So you either reduce your emissions or reduce your exposure.”
This story was a collaboration with New Narratives. Funding was provided by the Clean Air Fund, which had no say in the story’s content.
