Shows
Clean Air Report GhanaThe Air That’s Killing Us: Ghana in the Global Pollution CrisisAir pollution is now the world’s second leading cause of early death — right behind high blood pressure. In 2023 alone, it claimed 7.9 million lives globally, including more than 32,000 in Ghana, where the average person is losing nearly nine months of life expectancy to dirty air.In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana on Joy 99.7 FM, host Michael Asharley speaks with Dr. Pallavi Pant, Head of Global Initiatives at the Health Effects Institute, about the findings of the State of Global Air 2025 Report — a sobering look at how polluted air is quietly fueling heart disease, respiratory illness, and, f...
2025-11-3020 minClean Air Report GhanaShining a Light on Ghana’s Pollution Problem and Solutions: Albert Oppong AnsahAward-winning journalist Albert Oppong Ansah joins host Michael Asharley to share how powerful storytelling can help Ghana breathe cleaner air.In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana, Albert — a reporter with the Ghana News Agency and a New Narratives Clean Air Fellow — reflects on his recent win as Best in News Reporting (Online) at the 29th Ghana Journalists Association Awards. It was the second big win for him in a week. A few days before the GJA award, he also picked up the Eric and Wendy Schmidt award for excellence in science communication from the National Acad...
2025-11-1113 minClean Air Report GhanaFunding the Fight for Clean AirMichael Asharley explores a stunning global paradox: while air pollution kills nearly 8 million people a year, funding for cleaner air is rapidly disappearing. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, support for outdoor air quality in sub-Saharan Africa dropped by a staggering 91%.Michael speaks with Jacob Johnson Attakpah from the Green Africa Youth Organization about how these funding cuts are hitting grassroots environmental projects in Ghana. From waste recovery centres to youth-led air monitoring, the work continues — but the money is running out.Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is pr...
2025-11-0312 minClean Air Report GhanaPennies for Clean Air, Billions for Fossil FuelsAir pollution kills an estimated 28,000 Ghanaians every year — and costs the country up to $2.8 billion in lost productivity. Yet, as the crisis deepens, global funding for clean air is falling.In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana on Joy 99.7 FM, host Michael Asharley asks a critical question: why is the world investing less in saving the air we breathe? He breaks down the latest State of Global Air Quality Funding Report, which reveals that support for outdoor air quality dropped by 20%, while projects prolonging fossil fuels more than doubled to $9.5 billion.Michael speaks with De...
2025-10-2114 minClean Air Report GhanaMercury as a Dangerous Air Pollutant: The Hidden Cost of Gold Extraction in GhanaIn Ghana’s gold towns, the danger isn’t always underground — it’s in the air.Michael Asharley investigates a new report by the FCDO, Pure Earth, and the EPA, revealing alarming levels of mercury in the air across artisanal and small-scale mining communities. When mercury is burned to extract gold, it releases invisible, toxic vapour that threatens not just miners, but entire families and nearby towns.Michael speaks with Rev. Dr. Esmond Wisdom Quansah of Pure Earth, Dr. Dezel Tay of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and Dr. John Arko-Mensah of the University of Ghana School o...
2025-10-1712 minClean Air Report GhanaWhen the Air Turns Toxic: How Pollution Fuels Breast Cancer and HypertensionThis week on Clean Air Report Ghana, host Michael Asharley connects the dots between the air we breathe and the diseases we fear most. It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month — but beyond lifestyle and genetics, could Ghana’s polluted air be a silent trigger?In this episode, Jennifer Ambolley of The Chronicle Newspaper shares the stories of market women battling breast cancer while working in smoke-filled stalls and roadside chaos. Then, Kayleb Ahinakwah takes us to the streets, where hawkers breathing in exhaust fumes all day are showing alarming rates of hypertension.From busy markets to con...
2025-10-1514 minClean Air Report GhanaThe Blame in the Air: Why Accountability Matters for Clean AirWho’s responsible for cleaning Ghana’s air — the Ministry of Transport, the Energy Commission, the EPA, or your local assembly?Trick question. It’s all of them — and that’s exactly the problem.In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana, host Michael Asharley explores why Ghana’s air pollution crisis remains unresolved despite decades of monitoring and dozens of overlapping mandates. With more than 30,000 air pollution-related deaths every year, experts say the country’s fragmented approach is costing lives.Michael speaks with Desmond Appiah, Ghana Lead at the Clean Air Fund, who argues that Ghan...
2025-10-1509 minClean Air Report GhanaThe Numbers Don’t Lie: How Air Pollution Is Reducing Ghana’s Life ExpectancyWhat’s taking more years off our lives than smoking, unsafe water, or even HIV/AIDS? The answer might surprise you.In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana, host Michael Asharley speaks with Tanushree Ganguly, Director of the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) at the University of Chicago, to unpack the latest AQLI 2025 findings. The data reveals that air pollution is now the single greatest external threat to human life expectancy — and West Africa is among the hardest-hit regions.From the hidden dangers in Ghana’s air to the new parliamentary regulation on air qualit...
2025-10-1513 min