Ghana's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has been recognised at the Africa Clean Air Forum in Pretoria, South Africa, as one of only seven organisations worldwide honoured for making significant progress in tackling air pollution through improved air quality monitoring and policy action.

The EPA is one of only seven recipients of the EPIC Air Quality Fund Milestone Award, which honours organisations making measurable national progress in tackling air pollution.

The recognition follows Ghana's rollout of a government-owned, open air quality monitoring network in Tema under the leadership of Selina Amoah. Supported by the EPIC Air Quality Fund, the project combines a reference-grade monitor with seven low-cost sensors, providing real-time air quality data to the public and policymakers.

The monitoring network has helped strengthen public awareness, supported scientific research, informed the review of Ghana's national air quality standards and provided evidence to guide policy and attract further investment in clean air.

The award also comes as Ghana begins implementing the Environmental Protection (Air Quality Management Regulations), 2025 (L.I. 2507), a landmark law that strengthens air quality management by requiring industries to control emissions and vehicles to undergo emission testing.

Speaking after receiving the recognition, Acting Director of the EPA's Environmental Quality Unit and Project Lead, Selina Amoah, said the EPIC Air Quality Fund has become a catalyst for improving air quality governance, public awareness and institutional collaboration in Ghana.

The awards were presented during the Africa Clean Air Forum, where seven projects were recognised for using air quality data to drive national action.

The other awardees came from The Gambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, Malawi, Nigeria and Liberia, where projects have expanded monitoring networks, improved public access to air quality data and supported the development of national clean air policies.

The EPIC Air Quality Fund was launched in 2024 following a global call that attracted 322 applications from 74 countries. Thirty-one projects received grants of between US$50,000 and US$75,000 to strengthen air quality monitoring and accelerate clean air action.

According to the programme, the seven milestone awardees demonstrate how relatively modest investments in locally led projects can deliver lasting improvements in air quality management and public health.

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives. Funding was provided by the Clean Air Fund, which had no say in the story’s content.