Evaluating advanced strategies for air pollution control in Africa: a systematic review

Air pollution remains a critical global challenge due to its profound impacts on human health and the environment. In Africa, the need for effective air quality management has become increasingly urgent. This systematic review evaluates advanced strategies for air pollution control across the continent. Using the Web of Science and ProQuest, 10 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025 were screened and selected for analysis. The studies were grouped into two categories: (1) preventive policies targeting emissions from energy consumption, transportation, and industry, and (2) control strategies and technologies designed to mitigate specific pollutants. Across the reviewed studies, mean annual PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 19.3 µg/m3 in Bamako to 63.5 µg/m3 in Kano, highlighting substantial variability in air quality. Preventive policies were found to reduce emissions by 10–35% in energy and industrial sectors, while targeted control measures lowered concentrations of PM2.5, SO2, NO2, VOCs, and ozone by 5–20%, depending on implementation context. These findings demonstrate measurable improvements in air quality associated with both policy and technological interventions, while underscoring the need for integrated, context-specific strategies to effectively combat air pollution in African cities.