- Ghana’s annual economic cost of air pollution was estimated at $2.5 billion, approximately 4.2 per cent of Gross domestic product(GDP).
Dr. Francis Kasolo, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, during the celebration of the third Annual International Day for Clean Air for Blue Skies in Accra recently pointed out that Ghana’s annual economic cost of air pollution was estimated at $2.5 billion, approximately 4.2 per cent of Gross domestic product (GDP).
According to Dr Kasolo, air pollution has become the greatest risk for early death and premature deaths each year from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and respiratory diseases. It affected women, children, and the elderly more due to high levels of outdoor air pollution and indoor air pollution from cooking and heating with wood fuel and kerosene. He added that in Ghana, annual concentrations of air pollution was 10 times higher than the WHO air quality guidelines. The situation has led to about 28,000 deaths from Non-Communicable Diseases such as heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer among others. An estimated 3,000 children under five years also perish from exposure to household air pollution.
Responding to the views of Dr Kasolo, the Minister of Environmental Science Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr Kwaku Afriyie, stated that the government of Ghana was taking steps to improve the air quality of Ghana. The establishment and maintenance of air quality monitoring network in Accra, installation of state-of-the-art regulatory grade real-time air quality monitors at Adabraka and University of Ghana Campus, Capacity building of Ghanaian scientists, etc were some of the steps taken in this direction.
Also read;
https://trendsnafrica.com/ghana-government-signs-25-year-deal-with-south-african-consortium/
https://trendsnafrica.com/ghana-to-inject-us-2-billion-into-the-economy/
