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 Kasungu Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Kasungu

Kasungu faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.0 million across 16 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 16.7µg/m³. That's 3.3 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 277 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 Kasungu met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.14 years longer.

That's 1.2M years of life stolen from 1.0 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 10 most polluted districts in Kasungu. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.SC Kawamba
1.4 years lost
2.Kasungu National Park
1.4 years lost
3.TA Santhe
1.3 years lost
4.SC Lukwa
1.2 years lost
5.TA Chulu
1.2 years lost
6.TA Mwase
1.2 years lost
7.SC Njombwa
1.1 years lost
8.Kasungu Boma
1.1 years lost
9.SC Chisikwa
1.1 years lost
10.TA Kaomba
1.1 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%

1.0M

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 16 Districts in Kasungu

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
TA Santhe	137K	18.5	1.3 years
TA Wimbe	134K	15.3	1.0 years
TA Chulu	96K	17.2	1.2 years
TA Kaluluma	81K	15.9	1.1 years
TA Kaomba	76K	16.1	1.1 years
SC Kawamba	67K	19.5	1.4 years
SC Chilowamatambe	64K	15.0	1.0 years
TA Kapelula	64K	16.1	1.1 years
Kasungu Boma	60K	16.3	1.1 years
SC Njombwa	58K	16.7	1.1 years
SC Simlemba	49K	15.6	1.0 years
SC M'nyanja	45K	15.9	1.1 years
SC Lukwa	41K	17.5	1.2 years
TA Mwase	32K	16.9	1.2 years
SC Chisikwa	13K	16.3	1.1 years
Kasungu National Park	8K	19.1	1.4 years

Showing 16 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Kasungu is Injurious to Health.