Outdoor air pollution cost Ghana GH¢28 billion in 2024, UNDP report reveals

The study, conducted in collaboration with Breathe Cities and funded by the Clean Air Fund, also linked ambient air pollution to 12,870 deaths and over 316,000 disease cases in the same year. Stroke was responsible for approximately 47 percent of air pollution-related deaths, followed by ischaemic heart disease at 21 percent, and acute lower respiratory infections at 17.4 percent. Ms. Belynda Amankwa, Programmes Specialist for HIV, Health and Development at UNDP, stated that the report aims to quantify the health and economic burden of ambient air pollution to guide policy decisions.

The study, which focused exclusively on outdoor air pollution, utilized data from various Ghanaian institutions and an internationally recognized methodology adapted to Ghana’s context. Recommendations include developing a unified national air quality policy, expanding monitoring systems, improving data sharing, strengthening multi-sectoral collaboration, mobilizing innovative financing, and increasing research on vulnerable populations. At the city level, the report urges metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies to promote cleaner transport, improve waste management, enforce envir