Air Pollution in Africa and the African Diaspora

Dear Colleagues,

Air pollution is a ubiquitous and major threat to human health and well-being. Air pollution contributes to 7 million premature deaths every year worldwide. The main sources of air pollution globally are industrial emissions, vehicular emissions, and power generation. In lower and middle-income countries (LMICs), the combustion of solid fuels for cooking and heating and open burning of waste are other major sources. The majority of the evidence on the health effects of air pollution exposure emanates from high-income countries, notably Western Europe and North America. Among these studies are a relatively small, but growing, number of articles that describe the inequitable distribution of air pollution within and between countries. The air pollution problem in African countries and those within the African diaspora has been worsening over the last decade, especially in urban areas, due to rapid urbanization, industrialization, increased energy consumption, and motorized transportation. However, there are a comparatively small number of publications documenting the extent of exposure in these countries, the associated health effects, and control measures. This local evidence is very important for convincing governments to invest in air pollution control for population health gains.

This issue of IJERPH is designed to highlight research on air pollution conducted in African countries and within the African diaspora. This issue will hopefully inform the scientific community about the extent of the air pollution problem and the associated health burden in these populations that has been previously overlooked. In addition, we seek to galvanize new efforts to build air pollution monitoring and research capacity, showcase air pollution data, and conduct health impact assessment within African countries and the African diaspora.

Papers addressing the topic of air pollution measurement, modelling, epidemiology, and remediation within the countries of Africa and the African diaspora are invited for submission to this Special Issue. We encourage the submission of manuscripts from local researchers working within these settings.

Dr. Christina H. Fuller
Dr. A. Kofi Amegah
Guest Editors

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