. 50 per cent of pneumonia deaths caused by air pollution in 17 African countries – GBD 2019
By Juliet Jacob
Air pollution is a serious health hazard in Nigeria and it is estimated that it kills approximately 280,000 Nigerians each year. According to Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2019), seven out of every 10 deaths caused air pollution-related pneumonia deaths are among children under five, the highest proportion across all countries in the world.
GBD also says in 17 countries across Africa, air pollution contributes to more than 50 per cent of pneumonia deaths
Health experts say that unknown to many, air pollution is a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, causing about 24% of all adult deaths from heart disease, 29% from lung cancer, 25% from stroke, and 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the WHO estimates show.
In Nigeria, the main sources of air pollution are power plants, motor vehicles, and industrial processes. Other major sources of air pollution in Nigeria include biomass fuel burning from vehicles, landfill gases, domestic cooking stove and industries.
When air pollution reaches dangerous levels, it can cause a variety of illnesses and even death. Most other common effects of air pollution are irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. In extreme situations it can also lead to lung and heart disease. It has also been linked to increase in respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer.
Mr. Ikechukwu Mozie, CEO EMIVIK Nigeria Limited, an environmental and waste management consulting firm, in an interview says air pollution is a serious health situation in the country.
Mozie who has a lot of experience in environmental waste management in the Caribbean spanning over 10 years agrees that “air pollution in Nigeria and in Abuja, is mainly caused by dumping, indiscriminate disposals of waste”
Mozie who says he is helping some states in the country deal with the waste management and air pollution, said when wastes are not properly managed as the situation in Abuja presently, grave dangers are in the offing.
The situation “on the outskirts of Abuja like Mararaba, Nyanya and on the Kubwa expressway, where people defecate openly in the bush and in gutters, is not healthy because when the rain comes and washes those dumps into areas that are vital like source of people drinking water, it can cause serious illnesses”
However, Mozie is not happy with the enforcement of regulations and laws on how wastes are supposed to be disposed.
“These things are supposed to have some regulations that the government have entered into in terms of international health standard. If waste is well taken care of, it becomes harmless, and from waste we get back very useful by – products that could be put into very good use or resold for revenue”.
He particularly cautioned against the practice of stone blasting around the suburbs of Abuja.
“This Is rampant in Abuja and is affecting people living in areas like Dutse and Arab road in Kubwa Abuja. People are getting sick as a result of this practice of lung cancer, some are finding it difficult to breath and so on” he said.
He even drew a corollary to what recently happened in Turkey, “Stone blasting could cause serious issues if not now maybe later like what is happening in Turkey, where earthquake has taken so many lives as a result of things like stone blasting.”
