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.

Malawi's Blantyre Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Blantyre

Blantyre faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.5 million across 9 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 20.1µg/m³. That's 4.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 333 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 Blantyre met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.49 years longer.

That's 2.3M years of life stolen from 1.5 million 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 9 most polluted districts in Blantyre. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.TA Somba
1.6 years lost
2.TA Chigaru
1.5 years lost
3.TA Kuntaja
1.5 years lost
4.TA Kunthembwe
1.5 years lost
5.TA Lundu
1.5 years lost
6.Blantyre City
1.5 years lost
7.TA Kapeni
1.4 years lost
8.TA Machinjili
1.3 years lost
9.TA Makata
1.3 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

15-25 µg/m³

100%

1.5M

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 9 Districts in Blantyre

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Blantyre City	980K	20.1	1.5 years
TA Kuntaja	114K	20.4	1.5 years
TA Kapeni	105K	19.4	1.4 years
TA Somba	93K	21.7	1.6 years
TA Chigaru	63K	20.4	1.5 years
TA Kunthembwe	54K	20.4	1.5 years
TA Lundu	42K	20.3	1.5 years
TA Machinjili	39K	18.7	1.3 years
TA Makata	23K	18.5	1.3 years

Showing 9 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Blantyre is Injurious to Health.