The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has raised concerns over the growing health and economic burden of air pollution in Ghana, with the country losing an estimated US$1.9 billion annually to its effects.
The figure, contained in the Investment Case for Improved Ambient Air Quality and Health in Ghana Report 2025 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), represents about 2.3% of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The report also estimates that air pollution contributes to approximately 12,870 deaths in Ghana every year.
The EPA cited the figures as Ghana joins the global community to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies under the theme, “Clean Air, Healthy Choices: Acting Together for People and Planet.”
Globally, the State of Global Air Report 2025 identifies air pollution as the second-leading risk factor for premature death, contributing to approximately 7.9 million deaths worldwide in 2023.
In Ghana, major sources of air pollution include emissions from vehicles, industrial and commercial activities, the use of firewood and charcoal for cooking, and the open burning of waste.
The EPA said it is implementing a number of measures to improve air quality, including monitoring pollution levels at designated locations and enforcing the Environmental Protection (Air Quality Management) Regulations, 2025 (LI 2507).
The Authority is also collaborating with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to introduce vehicle emissions testing as part of the roadworthiness certification process.
It is implementing the Air Quality Management Plan for the Greater Accra Region through a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach, while enforcing the Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations, 2025 (LI 2504) to ensure that businesses take measures to minimise their environmental impact.
The EPA has also introduced the Ghana Online Continuous Emission Monitoring System (GOCEMS) to facilitate real-time monitoring of emissions from permitted undertakings.
The Authority further announced that it will soon launch a compliance enforcement exercise targeting open burning.
As part of efforts to tackle the problem, the EPA is urging individuals, businesses, communities and institutions to adopt cleaner practices.
These include properly maintaining vehicles, avoiding the open burning of waste, using cleaner cooking fuels and improved cookstoves, and adopting cleaner industrial and environmentally sustainable practices.
The EPA stressed that addressing air pollution requires collective action, warning that protecting clean air is a shared responsibility across all sectors of society.
The Authority urged Ghanaians to take practical steps to reduce pollution and protect public health and the environment for present and future generations.
