Measuring household air pollution exposure in sub-Saharan Africa

Researchers from the University of Liverpool, dedicated to solving the problem of household air pollution (HAP) in sub-Saharan Africa, have published new data to better understand the problem.

Their new article published in Lancet Planetary Healthled by the university’s NIHR Global Health Research Group, CLEAN-Air (Africa), assessed the impact of cooking with polluting fuels (e.g. wood, charcoal) on exposure to fine particles (PM_2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO), both of which can have a major impact on health.

In sub-Saharan Africa, where a significant proportion (around 85%) of the population relies on polluting fuels for cooking and heating their homes, cooking fumes are responsible for more than 680,000 premature deaths each year.

This multi-site measurement study, conducted in urbanized communities in central Cameroon, Ghana (Ashanti region) and western Kenya, is one of the largest in the region and illustrates the complexity of air pollution in this area. It details geographic variations in exposure to HAPs, providing analysis across the range of sources of harmful pollution.

The results reveal that while switching to LPG clean cooking has potential health benefits by reducing exposure to PAHs, there are other contributing factors that may limit the effectiveness of clean cooking fuels in reducing exposure to particles._2.5 and co. Depending on the area, residents may be exposed to localized levels of ambient air pollution from traffic or other outdoor sources, which may be a larger source of their overall daily particulate matter._2.5 exposure.

It is hoped that this level of detail will inform policymakers seeking to efficiently allocate limited resources to achieve the greatest benefit for global health. Dr Matthew Shupler, a researcher at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Population Health, said: “The public health benefits of a transition from polluting cooking fuels to LPG for cooking in sub-Saharan Africa are clear based on numerous measurement studies.

“But our study shows the benefits in terms of PM_2.5 Exposure reductions resulting from switching to clean cooking fuels vary significantly between communities due to differences in localized levels of ambient air pollution. Thus, interventions are needed to mitigate sources of indoor and outdoor air pollution in areas adjacent to cities to achieve a significant decline in particulate matter._2.5 the exhibition, especially as sub-Saharan Africa continues to urbanize.

Dr Bertrand Hugo Mbatchou Ngahane, Professor of Medicine at the University of Douala in Cameroon and Cameroon Local Principal Investigator of CLEAN-Air(Africa), said: “Outdoor air pollution levels in countries Sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly in cities, are increasing as our economies continue to expand, which will likely lead to increased exposure to air pollution of the urban population.

“We therefore need to collect more measurements of indoor and outdoor air pollution in urban areas of sub-Saharan Africa to better understand the sources that contribute most to exposure in our rapidly changing communities. We are grateful for our collaboration with Professor Dan Pope and Dr Elisa. Puzzolo and will continue to expand our measurements of air pollution in the coming years as part of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on CLEAN-Air (Africa).”

This article is the latest study carried out by the NIHR’s global health research group, CLEAN-Air (Africa), a collaboration formed to address the major global health challenge of household air pollution. CLEAN-Air (Africa) is a partnership of public health experts from academic, research and clinical institutions in the United Kingdom, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Working with governments in each country, the collaboration provides evidence-based data to help inform policies aimed at extending clean cooking to households and schools.