By Abbas Nazil
Environmental scientist Dr. Frederick Otu-Larbi has revealed that air pollution claims approximately 28,000 lives annually in Ghana, surpassing deaths caused by malaria and HIV/AIDS combined.
He described air pollution as one of the country’s most urgent health challenges, linking it to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases that continue to rise due to worsening air quality.
Dr. Otu-Larbi, a lecturer at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, noted that poor air quality is responsible for around eight million deaths worldwide each year.
In Ghana, air pollution now exceeds the annual death toll from malaria, estimated at 23,000, and HIV/AIDS at 15,000.
According to him, pollution results from both natural and human causes, including harmattan dust, vehicle emissions, burning refuse, and cooking with charcoal or firewood.
While harmattan winds from the Sahel region worsen seasonal dust pollution, the scientist emphasized that human activities remain the main contributors and are within the nation’s control to address.
His research, conducted with consultancy firm Pss Urbania across 13 districts, revealed pollution levels beyond World Health Organisation and Environmental Protection Agency safety limits.
Monitors installed at 60 sites identified major hotspots such as Nkrumah Circle, Nima Market, and Madina Zongo Junction, many located near schools where children face heightened risks.
Dr. Otu-Larbi urged authorities to act on mitigation plans, including public education, regular air quality monitoring, and stricter enforcement against polluters.
He warned that the 28,000 annual deaths not only devastate families but also weaken Ghana’s economic productivity through healthcare costs and lost labor.
The scientist called for cleaner cooking methods, improved waste management, and tighter emission controls, stressing that without urgent action, air pollution will continue as a silent but deadly public health crisis.