Accra: The Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Ghana (VAST Ghana), has called on the Government and stakeholders to urgently incorporate air pollution prevention and control strategies into the country's upcoming National Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Policy. This integration is expected to make air quality management a fundamental element of the national NCD prevention and control efforts.
According to Ghana News Agency, a recently released policy brief report by VAST Ghana, titled 'Breathing Crisis: Making Air Pollution a Priority in Ghana's National NCD Response,' highlights air pollution as a significant public health threat. The report emphasizes the severe health, environmental, and economic impacts of air pollution in Ghana and provides practical policy solutions.
The report recalls that during the 3rd United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs in 2018, global leaders formally acknowledged air pollution as a key driver of NCDs. This acknowledgment was part of the Political Declaration, which committed to strengthening national policies aimed at reducing population exposure to harmful air pollutants. The report notes that this recognition signified a crucial shift in global health policy, framing air pollution as both an environmental challenge and a critical public health issue.
Globally, air pollution is responsible for approximately 7.9 million premature deaths each year, with more than 90 percent occurring in low-and middle-income countries. In Ghana, the burden of air pollution is rising due to rapid urbanization, vehicle emissions, open burning of waste, reliance on solid fuels for cooking, and industrial emissions, among other factors.
The report also references the Global Air 2025 report, which attributes 4,541 deaths among children under ten years in Ghana to exposure from cooking with solid fuels like wood, charcoal, and dung. It records 12,790 deaths among adults aged 50 to 85 years. Economically, the World Bank estimates that health and productivity losses related to air pollution in Ghana amount to approximately 4.2 percent of the country's GDP annually. These costs stem from premature deaths, increased healthcare spending, and lost productivity due to illness.
Despite these challenges, the report identifies several critical gaps in Ghana's current national response to NCDs. Air pollution is often treated as an environmental issue rather than a health risk within the national health policy framework. To address these gaps, VAST Ghana recommends strengthening coordination among various government sectors, expanding and modernizing air quality monitoring systems, and ensuring air pollution data informs health policy decisions and public health interventions.
The report also suggests the restriction of old and high-emission vehicle imports, promoting cleaner transportation systems, and supporting cleaner household energy solutions through renewable energy technologies. Additionally, it calls for stronger enforcement of existing environmental regulations and the introduction of fiscal measures to hold major polluting industries accountable.
VAST Ghana emphasizes the importance of public education and national awareness campaigns to ensure understanding of air pollution's health risks and the need for collective action. It also highlights that air pollution transcends national borders and requires government-led policies to protect populations from harmful exposures. Communities, civil society organizations, researchers, and the private sector are encouraged to support national efforts for cleaner air.
VAST Ghana urges policymakers, development partners, and stakeholders to prioritize air pollution as a national health issue and take decisive action to protect the health of current and future generations. The report concludes that clean air is essential for healthy lives, and Ghana must act promptly to ensure its national health policies address the air pollution crisis and provide the necessary leadership to safeguard the health of its people.