Air Pollution and Health Status in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA)

Abstract

Air pollution is projected to be higher in low-income countries most of which are in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) than other parts of the world; yet not many studies provide evidence relating air pollution with health condition in the region. This paper contributes to empirical literature evidence in this regard by examining the effect of air pollution measured using Carbon dioxide emission (CO2) on life expectancy and infant mortality rates in the SSA region. The Fixed and Random effects model were fitted to a panel of 44 countries from the period 1960 to 2017. The results suggest that poor air quality contributes to existing low health status in SSA inducing a fall in life expectancy and rise in infant mortality rates. The evidence showed that a 1% increase in CO2 emission leads to a fall in life expectancy at birth by approximately 1.5 years and increase in infant death by about 0.1 %. Findings indicate that existing poor health outcome in SSA are connected to poor air quality. In the bid to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on health, there is need for governments in the region to focus on reducing air pollution, particularly in achieving significant fall in infant deaths and improvements in life span.

Pollution, knowledge and coping strategy and life expectancy in oil producing communities

“…Thus, the study uniquely extended the tenets of the EKC theory to pollution-output-longevity nexus by controlling for knowledge and coping strategy. Empirically, pollution has an adverse effect on longevity in line with earlier studies (Osakede and Ajayi, 2019; Hu and Guo, 2021; Rocha and Sant’Anna, 2022).…”

Structural Change, Environmental Pollution and Health Expenditure: Evidence from a Global Panel

“…This is consistent with the apriori expectations. These results are in line with those of Osakede and &Ajayi (2019), Soheilaand Bahman (2017), Haseeb et al (2019), Mujtaba and Ashfaq (2022) and Saleem et al (2021). With rising urbanization around the world, production in all sectors is increasingall forms of pollution resulting in health problems like cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, asthma, cancer and many others.…”

“…Many studies have examined the effect of environmental pollution on health expenditures using carbon dioxide emission (CO2) emissions to capture pollution (Mujtaba & Ashfaq, 2022;Osakede & Ajayi, 2019;Soheila & Bahman, 2017;Ullah et al, 2019, Alimi et al 2020) while others have employed measures like sulphur dioxide (SO2) (Hao et al 2018). Osakede & Ajayi (2019) examined the effects of air pollution measured using CO2 on life expectancy and infant mortality rates in the SSA region.…”

“…Many studies have examined the effect of environmental pollution on health expenditures using carbon dioxide emission (CO2) emissions to capture pollution (Mujtaba & Ashfaq, 2022;Osakede & Ajayi, 2019;Soheila & Bahman, 2017;Ullah et al, 2019, Alimi et al 2020) while others have employed measures like sulphur dioxide (SO2) (Hao et al 2018). Osakede & Ajayi (2019) examined the effects of air pollution measured using CO2 on life expectancy and infant mortality rates in the SSA region. They fitted fixed and random effects models to a panel of 44 countries from the period 1960 to 2017 and their results suggested that poor air quality contributes to the existing low health status in SSA inducing a fall in life expectancy and a rise in infant mortality rates.…”