Ghana - June 20, 2024

[Note: video contains Twi language]
[Note: video contains subtitles]

In the heart of Ghana’s capital Accra sits a deadly timebomb, largely unseen, by the residents of this city that never sleeps.

Agbogbloshie is a bustling hub of open-air markets, sprawling scrapyards, and a towering electronic trash dump that tells a story of resilience amidst adversity.
Beneath the trash lies a toxic peril that has plagued its inhabitants for years. Peter Quao Adattor has been exploring the situation.

"Even though the entire area is a complete mess we have no other option. We sit and eat on filth every day because nowhere looks better. The prevention of infectious diseases relies solely on God's grace.", says AISHA ABDULAI, Head Potter.

"The doctor attributes our health to our diet and surroundings.", says AISHA ABDULAI, Head Potter.

"I can't linger here for too long. Whenever I need to escape from work, I search for a safer location. I simply can't tolerate being around smoke for extended periods.", says CECELIA QUARSHIE, Shop owner.

But medical staff at the Old Fadama clinic, the closest health facility here, bear witness to a troubling trend.

"Air pollution is a rapidly growing problem in Ghana accounting for as many as 30,000 premature deaths every year according to the World Health Organization. It causes a far wider range of illnesses than obvious ones like pneumonia that affect the lungs. The most dangerous particles of air pollution get into the bloodstream and cause heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and infertility. It can also cause cancer. ", says FELICIA OWOO, In-charge, Old Fadama Clinic.

Traders here say they have battled government of all levels for help for years.

"Despite repeated reports to the appropriate authorities, no concrete action has so far been taken to address the challenge.", says FRANK OWUSU, Trader.

Agbogbloshie was a wetland until the 1960s when Accra expanded and an informal settlement sprang up. It has now burgeoned to accommodate more than 40,000 residents. The residents and workers here are not just engulfed in the smoke billowing from the burning mass of household trash.

Agbogbloshie also takes in as much as seventeen thousand tons of electronic waste shipped here each year from all over the world. As it burns it adds chemicals to the smoke being released.

Despite the evident environmental concerns and reported health issues within the community, the Environmental Protection Agency does not operate an air quality meter in Agbogbloshie.

The office of the executive director of the Environmental Protection Agency and the air quality department of EPA did not respond to multiple requests for an interview over six months. The agency did not respond to questions as to why Ghana takes e-waste from other countries and why the waste is not processed more safely.

However, many studies by the University of Ghana and others showed that e-waste workers and residents here are heavily exposed to air pollution that is impacting their health.

Dr Daniel Nukpezah is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Environmental and Sanitation, at the University of Ghana. Dr Daniel Nukpezah says though the Government has made considerable effort to clean up the air here - including the recent demolishing of structures at the Agbogbloshie scrap market - a lot more remains to be done. Accra is now Africa’s fastest-growing city. Experts say as it grows more and more people like Aisha will seek work in Agbogbloshie and other places like it.

If better controls are not put in place they say a growing number of people are going to become sick and die from air pollution.