Systematic review reveals adverse respiratory outcomes and mortality in African populations, highlighting an urgent need for cleaner household fuels.
Key Points
Synthesize existing epidemiological evidence on the associations between air pollution, ambient heat, and respiratory morbidity and mortality in Africa.
Conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines across PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Elicit for case-control studies published between 2015 and 2025.
Identified and reviewed 13 case-control studies across 10 African countries evaluating indoor pollutants, ambient air pollution, and temperature.
Indoor PM₂.₅ concentrations in homes burning biomass reached 96 to 177 µg/m³, while ambient PM₂.₅ reached 259 µg/m³, both substantially exceeding WHO thresholds.
Nitrogen oxide exposure was consistently linked to impaired pediatric lung function, and household air pollution correlated with elevated risks of under-five mortality and low birthweight.
Only three studies incorporated ambient temperature measurements, and none evaluated interaction effects between heat and respiratory outcomes.