Data gap in air quality related health analysis and projections in data scarce regions of the world: Case study of West Africa

The health effect of air pollution is gaining global attention due, primarily, to elevated values of Particulate Matter (PM) with devastating consequences on health, agriculture, aviation and the climate system. The increasing exposure to PM and its health effects have been backed up by scientific evidence around the world. A number of sources have been identified and are being tackled by various interventions. However, there are still subtle sources of air pollution, which are culturally related, that are neglected in most reports. This study takes a cursory look at some air pollution sources, common in the West African sub region, with possible serious health implications. The dry season period has been identified as the most hazardous seasons in West Africa, in terms of air pollution, due to a combination of both natural and anthropogenic activities (such as: harmattan, bush burning, farmland preparation, ground sweeping, farm produce transportation, etc.) which are at their peak at this time of the year. These leave inhabitants exposed to PM values, far above WHO limits, for an average period of 5 months yearly. Harmattan winds, originating from the Sahara Desert, spray vast amount of fine particles between 0.5 and 10 microns into the region polluting the air and reducing visibility. Agricultural practices such as bush burning, farmland preparation and farm produce transportation on untarred roads generate PM in high concentration, which is directly inhaled by operators. In the same way, ground sweeping is done with the African broom and stirs dust directly to the face of the cleaner. Unfortunately, most of the cultural sources of pollution in West Africa and related diseases are poorly documented, and most air quality related analyses and reports on source apportionment neglect their contributions. Data used for most health related statistics and projections are from from satellite imageries, which in most cases, do not represent actual data on ground. Unfortunately, in-situ measuring stations are grossly inadequate, underscoring the need for increased on-ground based data collection and a comprehensive air pollution inventory in the region, to enhance data integrity and evidence-based research approach. Keywords: Harmattan, farm preparation, ground sweeping, source apportionment, air pollution, health effects,