New Scoping Review Report on the health effects of air pollution in East Africa – Health Effects Institute

Exposure to air pollution continues to be an important risk factor for poor health across East Africa. Currently, air pollution is the second leading factor for deaths in the region, accounting for an estimated 294,000 deaths in 2021. HEI has published a new Scoping Review Report, “Health Effects of Air Pollution in East Africa: Current Evidence and Priorities for Future Action.”

The report summarises the current scientific evidence on the health effects of air pollution in East Africa. The report focuses on eight countries in the region: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Here are key findings from the report:

• Most of the studies evaluated respiratory health and maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The review found that current evidence on health effects of air pollution in East Africa, particularly with regard to respiratory health and children’s health outcomes, is broadly aligned with global evidence and can be used to inform policy decisions.
• Cooking and heating with biomass fuels was identified as the predominant source of pollution in the region.
• Several studies have reported disparities in exposure and health outcomes based on location- or wealth-based categories.
• 76% of the publications included in the scoping review were published between 2019 and 2023.