Beyond the smokescreen: estimating the health consequences of air pollution in Africa

Abstract Air pollution, stemming from both indoor (household) and outdoor (ambient) sources, remains a critical driver of environmental degradation and a major public health concern globally. Africa faces some of the highest levels of air pollution and related health burdens. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2020), air pollution was linked to 1.1 million deaths on the continent in 2019 alone. This study examines the health impacts of air pollution in Africa using unbalanced panel data from 41 countries over the period 2000–2022. Distinguishing between ambient and household pollution, the analysis focuses on their respective effects on child mortality and adult life expectancy. Employing pooled OLS and fixed effects models with PM 2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometres) data from three different reputable sources which are the WHO, OECD, and EDGAR, were used. The study finds that children are more vulnerable to air pollution than adults. Ambient air pollution is identified as the predominant source of health-related impacts, while household air pollution appears to be declining, likely due to reduced reliance on polluting fuels. Robustness checks confirm these findings. The research also underscores the long-term health benefits of clean fuel adoption, and an increase in GDP per capita improves economic prosperity, which translates to lowering child mortality and enhancing life expectancy.