Ambient Air Pollution And Health In Accra Ghana

With the objectives to reduce deaths and diseases associated with air and climate pollutants, and to enhance health co-benefits from policies and measures to tackle air and climate pollution, WHO has carried out, in cooperation with various international partners, an Urban Health Initiative (UHI). The UHI aims to mobilizing and empowering the health sector and using the sector’s influential position to promote the implementation of air and climate pollutant reduction strategies, and it intends to demonstrate to the public and decision-makers the full range of health and economic benefits to the local population, that can be achieved from implementing local emission reduction policies and strategies. This publication is part of a case study series that carried out in the UHI pilot project in Accra. This case study is aimed at discussing ambient air pollution and health impacts for specific scenarios of reduction of concentrations.

Ambient and household air pollution are a major cause of death and disease globally. This public health threat is being increased due to the rapid urbanization process and environmental degradation that characterizes the 21st century and that have a higher impact in developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) Urban Health Initiative (UHI) is implemented as a response to the World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution 68.8 from May 2015, which requests WHO to build health sector capacity to work with other sectors, support countries to identify effective policy measures, track progress, and continue to update the evidence for health impacts of air pollution. WHO conducted a pilot project in the city of Accra (Ghana) to address air pollution and related health effects in cities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The Initiative provides a health-based implementation framework to reduce deaths and diseases associated with air pollutants, and realize climate and other health benefits (e.g., less injuries and safe physical activity). Particular attention has been given to assessing the impacts of policies in sectors responsible for air pollution, specifically household energy, land-use, waste and transport activities. This report includes discussions on the main results and impacts of the pilot project conducted in Accra. And it provides guidance and available tools that can be adapted to similar initiatives around the world to assess the health impacts of air pollution, promote policies to reduce air pollution and plan healthier environments.

In developing countries the price of rapid growth is all too often noxious airborne pollution, which annually contributes to a disturbing number of avoidable deaths. In recent decades, however, there has been considerable progress in the epidemiology of air pollution, significant changes in international air pollution guidelines, and the emergence of more systematic approaches to air pollution control. While many of these advances have originated in affluent countries, there have been major developments in other parts of the world. In this book, a distinguished cast of leading researchers in both the scientific and policy dimensions of air pollution and health have synthesized the recent developments in the field and their relevance for public health in developing countries. The authors review studies from a wide range of Asian, African and Latin American countries and contrast the findings with those from Europe and North America. They also describe various tools and systems for air pollution management and emphasize approaches that can be used when data is scarce. With a clear focus on the scientific and technical aspects of air pollution and health, this book is essential reading for pollution and health policy-makers, researchers and others concerned with air pollution and health in developing countries.