New data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) highlights the severe impact of air pollution on life expectancy worldwide, despite a slight dip in global pollution levels in 2022.

If fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) met World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, the average person could gain nearly two extra years of life, equating to 14.9 billion life-years saved worldwide.

The Global Toll of Air Pollution

Air pollution, particularly from PM2.5 particles, remains the world’s greatest external risk to human health, surpassing smoking, alcohol use, traffic injuries, and HIV/AIDS. The University of Chicago’s AQLI data shows that people in highly polluted areas live 2.7 years less than those in cleaner environments. In 2021, air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths globally or roughly 22,192 deaths daily. Alarmingly, one child dies every minute due to air pollution.

Ghana’s Air Quality Crisis

Air pollution is a critical issue in Ghana. In 2019, it caused 28,000 deaths, surpassing fatalities from malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis. The country faces significant pollution challenges from factory emissions, waste burning, and an outdated fleet of public transport vehicles. Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI) continue to be the leading cause of illness in Ghana, with the Ayawaso West Municipality alone reporting 25,700 cases in 2023, nearly double the cases from 2021.

Michael Greenstone, creator of the AQLI and professor at the University of Chicago, emphasized that while air pollution is a global problem, its effects are more severe in a few regions. “In some places, people lose as much as six years of life due to air pollution,” he said. He also highlighted that the worst-affected areas often suffer from a lack of ambition in setting and enforcing pollution control policies.

Air Quality Standards and Monitoring Gaps

Out of 252 countries and territories, 94 have set national pollution standards, but 37 of them fail to meet these standards. More than half of the countries lack any pollution standards, and nearly all countries without standards do not monitor air quality or provide open data on pollution levels. This data gap hinders the establishment of effective pollution control measures.

Efforts to Combat Air Pollution

The Clean Air Fund, a global initiative, has been active in Ghana, investing over $700,000 in 2023 to combat air pollution. Accra recently joined the Breathe Cities Initiative to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions by 30% and improve public health. Desmond Appiah, Country Lead of the Clean Air Fund, highlighted the urgent need for local research to link pollution levels to health outcomes more effectively.

Regional Insights

In the Middle East and North Africa, pollution rose by 13% in 2022, cutting life expectancy by up to 4 years in some areas. In Central and West Africa, air pollution is as deadly as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and unsafe water, reducing life expectancy by up to 5 years in the most polluted regions.

Key Findings from the AQLI 2024 Report

• The impact of PM2.5 on life expectancy is comparable to smoking and far greater than other health risks like alcohol use, transport injuries, and HIV/AIDS.

• 77% of countries worldwide either lack national pollution standards or fail to meet existing ones.

• In Central and West Africa, air pollution poses a health threat equivalent to that of the most deadly diseases in the region.

Despite some progress in countries like China, where pollution control measures have extended life expectancy by two years, much of the world still struggles with inadequate pollution monitoring and enforcement, putting millions of lives at risk.

The battle against air pollution remains a critical global health challenge, requiring urgent action and coordinated efforts to save lives and improve public health outcomes.