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 Chikwawa Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Chikwawa

Chikwawa faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 674 thousand across 11 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 23.7µg/m³. That's 4.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 393 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 Chikwawa met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.84 years longer.

That's 1.2M years of life stolen from 674 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 10 most polluted districts in Chikwawa. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.TA Lundu
2.1 years lost
2.TA Makhwira
2 years lost
3.TA Maseya
2 years lost
4.TA Katunga
1.9 years lost
5.Chikwawa Boma
1.8 years lost
6.TA Kasisi
1.8 years lost
7.Majete Game Reserve - Chikwawa
1.8 years lost
8.Ngabu Urban
1.8 years lost
9.Lengwe National Park
1.8 years lost
10.TA Ngabu
1.8 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

67.7%

456K

25-35 µg/m³

32.3%

218K

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 11 Districts in Chikwawa

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
TA Ngabu	212K	22.9	1.8 years
TA Chapananga	127K	21.1	1.6 years
TA Makhwira	99K	25.8	2.0 years
TA Lundu	73K	26.4	2.1 years
TA Maseya	46K	25.6	2.0 years
TA Kasisi	46K	23.7	1.8 years
TA Katunga	39K	24.2	1.9 years
Ngabu Urban	14K	23.1	1.8 years
Chikwawa Boma	11K	23.7	1.8 years
Lengwe National Park	4K	22.9	1.8 years
Majete Game Reserve - Chikwawa	4K	23.5	1.8 years

Showing 11 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Chikwawa is Injurious to Health.