“Air pollution is a silent killer, it’s very real and the   impact is enormous . Again, World Bank reports indicated Ghana is losing about $2.5 billion due to poor air quality.  We need to take decisions to influence public policy, improve air quality and rebrand our legal regime,” he stressed.

Mr Darko-Mensah(middle) in a  pose with participants

Mr Appiah made these revelations  on Tuesday at the  opening  of  a three- day workshop on  a  project dubbed  “Barriers to full enforcement of environmental regulations to manage air pollution  in Ghana” held    in Takoradi, in the Western Region.

It was organised by the Department of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Ghana, Legon, to critically examine factors that undermine poor implementation and enforcement of pollution  regulations, and laws that apply to road traffic.

It will also tackle accountability challenges including institutional,  legislative, human and  procedural barriers.

Again, the workshop, first stakeholders’  event organised in the regions, also hopes to develop recommendations to guide the development of ideas to create an enabling environment to help the implementation of regulations by relevant mandated authorities.

The project has come at a time that experts have noted road traffic as major source of particulate matter emissions in urban areas, contributing to diseases like hypertension, asthma, lung cancer and cardio vascular morbidity.

Mr Darko-Mensah(middle)  in a pose with facilitators.Third left is Project Lead, Dr Reginald Quansah.

Mr Appiah said, Ghana, despite being a leader in air pollution prevention and management, enforcement of legal instruments and regulations was  lacking in the country.

Globally, he reported that, about 7 million people who die annually due to air pollution, with more than 1.1 million recorded in Africa, adding that the figure was second to HIV and AIDS.

The project lead was concerned about   the volumes of refuse piling up in communities and neighbourhoods, especially within the Takoradi  market circle.

“It’s easy to say it, but, how do we stop the  problem, what is the solution?” Is it the problem  of enforcement?” Mr Appiah asked.

He explained that the workshops aimed at rebranding regulatory  regime  on air quality and pollution, give  stakeholders  some  understanding  of issues,  build capacity and resources of institutions in waste management   to   make real impacts  on  public health.

 Mr Appiah proposed that society needs  to reap  the  full benefits of environmental regulations  and make it  influence  positively  on air quality  and  for the good of the economy.

In his address, the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, thanked the Department of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health-Legon, for the  advocacy campaign workshop  on the  management of  air pollution  in Ghana.

“Air pollution has unfortunately been with us over the time, and it is gradually gaining grounds on our urban roads which is unfavourable to our environment and a major threat to our health. We must discuss the effective ways to regulate and improve air quality in our communities,” he said.

The project lead, Dr Reginald Quansah, said “People’s views are important so that we give specific solutions and fix the problems. We need to tackle the problems on air pollution. We are building a bank  of solutions- We”ll look at  our  strengths,   weaknesses,  opportunities and threats.”