Open waste burning caused more than 32,000 deaths in Ghana in 2023, making it the country’s second leading cause of death after high blood pressure, according to the 2025 State of Global Air report.
The report indicated that household pollution from solid fuels and waste accounted for about two-thirds of the deaths linked to open waste burning.
The findings were disclosed on Wednesday during the Breathe Adentan campaign held at the Frafraha Community Senior High School in the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The report further revealed that in the Adentan Municipality, about one-third of households that have access to waste collection services still burn excess waste in dug-out pits.
It said the practice was contributing to persistent coughs among children and worsening asthma cases.
According to the report, one in three households at Adentan with regular waste collection services still resort to burning waste instead of disposing of it properly.
The engagement formed part of efforts to sensitise students, described as future leaders, to champion clean air through the campaign theme: ‘The ‘borla’ you burn, your family breathes.’
“Students are messengers; they move between classrooms and homes, bringing what they learn to others. Engaging schools is a strategic effort that plants the seeds for today’s students to become tomorrow’s household decision-makers, community leaders and Breathe Adentan Ambassadors of Clean Air long after the campaign ends,” the report stated.
The Team Lead for the campaign, Dr Vincent Kyere, described air pollution as an existential threat and urged residents to adopt safe and healthy environmental practices.
“The solution is not only for policymakers but also for each household deciding whether to burn or wait, to separate waste or set it ablaze. Breathe Adentan aims to empower residents by providing awareness and alternatives to solve problems they alone can fix,” he indicated.
The Assistant Headmistress of Frafraha Community SHS, Ms Augusta Lartey Young, commended Breathe Adentan for partnering with the school to promote clean air.
“The school is always open to initiatives like this from the private sector, because you bring the resources and expertise to drive real behaviour change on social issues in our communities, something we cannot always do alone,” she said.
Ms Young expressed the hope that the partnership would continue to provide students with information and education to help keep the environment clean for future generations.
A Technical Officer at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Kwaku Anim, reiterated the authority’s commitment to promoting pollution-free communities through the enforcement of regulations, including the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124).
“For us at EPA, the safety and health of communities is at the forefront of our activities and we will ensure all Ghanaians abide by the law to keep our air clean,” he emphasised.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLES Ghana), Dr Sampson Manukure Atiemo, encouraged residents to view waste as a resource and practise proper segregation to create opportunities for income generation.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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