Abstract
Air Pollution in Africa in the time of COVID-19: the air we breathe indoors and outdoors
Highlights
More than 900 million people in Africa rely on polluting energy sources for cooking, and 600 million are without access to electricity (IEA (International Energy Agency), 2019). This means, during the COVID-19 period, millions of households in Africa are exposed to high levels of air pollution as they cook, heat and use light inside their houses
A study in Nairobi in an informal settlement showed the levels of fine particulate matter communities were exposed as they went about their daily activities were approximately 3 to 4-fold the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines for outdoor air quality (West et al, 2020)
During the COVID-19 period where most households are required to be indoors, it is most likely indoor air pollution exposure will increase, adding to the underlying vulnerabilities of people already exposed to long term high levels of outdoor air pollution
Summary
More than 900 million people in Africa rely on polluting energy sources for cooking, and 600 million are without access to electricity (IEA (International Energy Agency), 2019). This means, during the COVID-19 period, millions of households in Africa are exposed to high levels of air pollution as they cook, heat and use light inside their houses.
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