In 2019, pollution was responsible for the premature death of nearly nine million people worldwide, according to a study published on May 18, 2022 in the scientific journal The Lancet. The main reason is poor air quality. To improve the situation, real-time surveillance is needed, which is sorely lacking in sub-Saharan Africa.
Billions of people breathe polluted air, warns the World Health Organization (WHO). Poor air quality has effects “huge” on health, confirms the latest report (in English) of the British journal The Lancet.
Pollution and waste created by humans and released into the air, water and soil rarely kill directly, but they cause serious heart disease, cancer, respiratory problems or acute diarrhoea. Those most at risk are in low- and middle-income countries.
The effect of pollution on health is still far greater than that of war, terrorism, malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, drugs and alcohol.”
The Commission on Pollution and Health of the scientific journal “The Lancet”
In 2019, pollution caused the premature death of almost nine million people worldwide and the overwhelming majority of these victims are in poor countries according to the study. In Africa, “traditional” household air pollution and water pollution remain the main causes of illness and death, although the trend is decreasing. On the other hand, “modern” atmospheric air pollution increases with the economic development, industrialization and urbanization of the countries of the African continent.
Countries with huge pollution problems, such as China and India, have invested in monitoring to try to bring down air pollution. National action plans on air quality have led to a reduction in pollution. Results that remain very relative. In sub-Saharan Africa, the gaps are huge and the continent is sorely lacking in data on air pollution.
Only seven of Africa’s 54 countries – including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal – have real-time air quality monitors on the ground. These shortcomings are partly filled by satellite images which are not sufficient on their own to provide very precise information.