Human Health

Air Pollution Overtakes Malaria, HIV/AIDS as Leading Cause of Death in Ghana – Study

Accra, Sept 17, 2025 – A new study has revealed that air pollution has become the leading cause of death in Ghana, surpassing fatalities from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and road traffic accidents.

The research, conducted by PSS Urbania Consult with support from the Clean Air Fund, found that more than 30,000 deaths annually are now linked to air pollution-related illnesses, including asthma, lung cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

The study attributed the surge in deaths to pollution sources such as vehicular emissions, open waste burning, use of firewood, pesticides from farming, and dust from road construction. It also showed that air quality levels in several areas far exceeded standards set by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Monitoring was carried out across over 60 sites in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, identifying pollution hotspots such as Ablekuma Central, Ablekuma North, Ashiedu Keteke, Okaikoi South, Ayawaso East, Ayawaso West, Korle Klottey, La Dade Kotopon, and Madina, among others.

The findings were presented at a validation workshop in Accra on Tuesday, attended by government officials, planners, and environmental experts.

Speaking at the event, Usama Iddrisu Samu, Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of Local Government, described air pollution as a national development priority, warning that deaths from pollution already outstrip those caused by malaria and HIV combined.

“This must remind us that cleaner air is not just an environmental aspiration but a development priority that must be at the heart of our national agenda,” he stressed.

Officials from the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council and the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) pledged to integrate Air Quality Action Plans (AQAPs) into medium-term development frameworks for 13 selected metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs).

Representatives of the Clean Air Fund also called for stronger local ownership of the plans, stressing that the current workshop should be the beginning of long-term action, not the end of the process.

With Ghana targeting compliance with WHO air quality standards by 2040, experts urged immediate steps to curb emissions, strengthen waste management, and promote cleaner urban development.