Ghana: Ghanaians have been urged to keep their environment clean as part of efforts to reduce rising air pollution. The call comes at the back warning from health experts who say air pollution is contributing to increasing cases of respiratory diseases and premature deaths in the country.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Joan Aguyire, a Specialist Physician in Internal Medicine at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, made the call in an interview, describing air pollution as a growing public health threat. Dr. Aguyire explained that air pollution-related sicknesses had become one of the leading environmental health risks in Ghana, sometimes surpassing common diseases such as malaria.
She highlighted that thousands of premature deaths are recorded annually in Ghana due to illnesses linked to air pollution, including chronic respiratory conditions, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, and lung infections. Dr. Aguyire attributed the situation largely to open burning of waste, emissions from vehicles, industrial activities, and the use of unclean cooking fuels, particularly in densely populated communities.
Dr. Aguyire emphasized that citizens had a collective responsibility to reduce pollution by adopting proper waste management practices and avoiding indiscriminate dumping and burning of refuse. She encouraged households to embrace the 'reduce, reuse, and recycle' approach to waste management.
She stressed that protecting the environment was directly linked to safeguarding public health; therefore, sustaining behavioral change at the individual and community levels was essential to prevent avoidable illnesses and deaths.