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A Narrative Review on the Human Health Effects of Ambient Air Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Urgent Need for Health Effects Studies

Author

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  • Eric Coker

    (School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA)

  • Samuel Kizito

    (College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda)

Abstract

An important aspect of the new sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a greater emphasis on reducing the health impacts from ambient air pollution in developing countries. Meanwhile, the burden of human disease attributable to ambient air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa is growing, yet estimates of its impact on the region are possibly underestimated due to a lack of air quality monitoring, a paucity of air pollution epidemiological studies, and important population vulnerabilities in the region. The lack of ambient air pollution epidemiologic data in sub-Saharan Africa is also an important global health disparity. Thousands of air pollution health effects studies have been conducted in Europe and North America, rather than in urban areas that have some of the highest measured air pollution levels in world, including urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we provide a systematic and narrative review of the literature on ambient air pollution epidemiological studies that have been conducted in the region to date. Our review of the literature focuses on epidemiologic studies that measure air pollutants and relate air pollution measurements with various health outcomes. We highlight the gaps in ambient air pollution epidemiological studies conducted in different sub-regions of sub-Saharan Africa and provide methodological recommendations for future environmental epidemiology studies addressing ambient air pollution in the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Coker & Samuel Kizito, 2018. "A Narrative Review on the Human Health Effects of Ambient Air Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Urgent Need for Health Effects Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:3:p:427-:d:134161
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Patrick Opiyo Owili & Wei-Hung Lien & Miriam Adoyo Muga & Tang-Huang Lin, 2017. "The Associations between Types of Ambient PM 2.5 and Under-Five and Maternal Mortality in Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-20, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaoping Liu & Zhen Peng & Xianghua Liu & Rui Zhou, 2019. "Dispersion Characteristics of Hazardous Gas and Exposure Risk Assessment in a Multiroom Building Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Apolline Saucy & Martin Röösli & Nino Künzli & Ming-Yi Tsai & Chloé Sieber & Toyib Olaniyan & Roslynn Baatjies & Mohamed Jeebhay & Mark Davey & Benjamin Flückiger & Rajen N. Naidoo & Mohammed Aqiel Da, 2018. "Land Use Regression Modelling of Outdoor NO 2 and PM 2.5 Concentrations in Three Low Income Areas in the Western Cape Province, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-14, July.
    3. Egide Kalisa & Stephen Archer & Edward Nagato & Elias Bizuru & Kevin Lee & Ning Tang & Stephen Pointing & Kazuichi Hayakawa & Donnabella Lacap-Bugler, 2019. "Chemical and Biological Components of Urban Aerosols in Africa: Current Status and Knowledge Gaps," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-21, March.
    4. Temitope Christina Adebayo-Ojo & Janine Wichmann & Oluwaseyi Olalekan Arowosegbe & Nicole Probst-Hensch & Christian Schindler & Nino Künzli, 2022. "Short-Term Joint Effects of PM 10 , NO 2 and SO 2 on Cardio-Respiratory Disease Hospital Admissions in Cape Town, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-19, January.
    5. Frans Everson & Patrick De Boever & Tim S. Nawrot & Nandu Goswami & Mashudu Mthethwa & Ingrid Webster & Dries S. Martens & Nyiko Mashele & Sana Charania & Festus Kamau & Hans Strijdom, 2019. "Personal NO 2 and Volatile Organic Compounds Exposure Levels are Associated with Markers of Cardiovascular Risk in Women in the Cape Town Region of South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-18, June.
    6. Tiekwe Joseph Eloge & Ongbayokolak Nadine & Dabou Solange & Phélix Bruno Telefo & Isabella Annesi-Maesano, 2021. "Clinical Manifestations and Changes of Haematological Markers among Active People Living in Polluted City: The Case of Douala, Cameroon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-14, January.

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