Experts discuss air quality in West Africa

 A five-day train­ing programme aimed at improv­ing air quality in the West African sub region is taking place in Accra.

The event, which started on Monday ending tomorrow, is being organised by the University of Ghana (UG) and Columbia University.

The programme, a first phase, is being attended by participants from Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria, all Anglophone countries in the sub region.

They included policymakers of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), academics and stakeholders, who shared air quality management experiences pertaining in Ameri­ca, including policies, knowledge, ideas, innovations, and the han­dling of health-related issues.

Addressing the meeting in Accra, the Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Ghana, Rolf Oslon, said the collaborative initiative, spanning West Africa, aimed to build capacity and com­prehensively address environ­mental concerns.

This, he said has led to the de­velopment of the first Air Quali­ty Management Plan in Ghana, a comprehensive action plan, to en­hance public health and address environmental degradation.

The Deputy Chief of Mission highlighted the urgent need for innovative solutions to com­bat the challenges posed by air pollution.

He said “this season truly illustrates the necessity for train­ing, capacity building, and, most importantly, innovative solutions to the air quality concerns that we all have.”

Mr Oslon said that funding from the United States Envi­ronmental Protection Agency supported research aiming at reducing household air pollution.

He said it also anticipated pos­itive impact on health outcomes, reduced strain on healthcare systems and improved overall well-being for people in commu­nities.

Mr Oslon expressed hope that the programme would empower local and regional decision-mak­ers to gather, monitor and analyse air quality data to inform effec­tive policy formulation.

The Executive Director of Ghana’s Environmental Protec­tion Agency (EPA), Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, emphasised the urgent need for international collaboration to combat air pol­lution in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 11 and 13.

These goals, he reiterated, sought to focus on promoting wellbeing, creating sustainable and inclusive cities and taking urgent action to combat image change for a more sustainable and equitable future.

Dr Kokufu called for collective efforts in addressing the alarming rise in air pollution, particularly in Ghana, where more than 28,000 lives are being lost annually due to air pollution.

He said that the EPA and it partners had collaborated efforts to end or reduce air pollution in Ghana.

Dr Kokufu mentioned reg­ulation of air emissions from industries through the Environ­mental Assessment procedure as outlined in EPA regulations LI 1652, equipping actors in the electronic waste management value chain with knowledge and environmental friendly manage­ment and recycling practices as the interventions.

He expressed optimism that participants would acquire more knowledge, ideas, and form strengthened network, to im­prove air quality management in the sub region.

The second phase of the pro­gramme is expected to take place in Burkina Faso for experts from Francophone countries.

 BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG

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