PM2.5 stands for particulate matter 2.5 microns or smaller. These particles are 30 times thinner than a human hair and come from car exhaust, power plants, wildfires, and burning fuel. They are small enough to bypass your body's natural defenses and enter your bloodstream.

How does air pollution affect the body?

Air pollution affects virtually every organ in the body. PM2.5 particles enter your lungs, pass into your bloodstream, and travel to your heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. This causes chronic inflammation, increasing risks of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, dementia, and many other conditions.

How many people are affected by air pollution?

99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds WHO safety guidelines. Air pollution kills approximately 8 million people every year—more than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

Ghana's Ahafo Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Ahafo

Ahafo faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 620 thousand across 6 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 12µg/m³. That's 2.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 199 cigarettes in a year.

Trends

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Health Impact

Life Expectancy Impact

If Ahafo met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.69 years longer.

That's 428K years of life stolen from 620 thousand people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Most Polluted

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 6 most polluted districts in Ahafo. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Tano South
0.8 years lost
2.Tano North
0.8 years lost
3.Asutifi North
0.7 years lost
4.Asunafo South
0.7 years lost
5.Asunafo North
0.6 years lost
6.Asutifi South
0.6 years lost

Exposure

Population Exposure by Pollution Level

Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³—only populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.

< 5 µg/m³

5-10 µg/m³

10-15 µg/m³

100%

620K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 6 Districts in Ahafo

Complete air quality data for every district in Ahafo, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Asunafo North	165K	11.6	0.6 years
Tano North	103K	12.7	0.8 years
Asunafo South	101K	11.7	0.7 years
Tano South	96K	13.2	0.8 years
Asutifi North	81K	11.8	0.7 years
Asutifi South	75K	11.5	0.6 years

Showing 6 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Ahafo is Injurious to Health.