Open waste burning caused over 32,000 deaths nationwide in Ghana during 2023, according to the 2025 State of Global Air report. This alarming figure positions open waste burning as Ghana's second-leading risk factor for death, surpassed only by high blood pressure. Household pollution from solid fuels and waste accounts for approximately two-thirds of these fatalities.
The Breathe Adentan campaign recently engaged staff and students of Frafraha Community Senior High School to address this persistent environmental health hazard. This educational outreach aims to raise awareness about the severe health and environmental impacts of burning refuse. In Adentan Municipality, a significant problem persists, with one-third of households that use waste collection services still burning excess waste in dug-out pits.
This issue is not merely a distant statistic; its consequences manifest directly in communities through household smoke, increased instances of children's coughs, and worsening asthma cases. The campaign highlights that each act of burning waste carries lasting consequences beyond the immediate smoke. This initiative forms part of a broader effort to change household waste-burning behaviors across the twelve electoral areas of the Adentan Municipality.
Dr. Vincent Kyere, Team Lead for the Breathe Adentan campaign, stated that this crisis is largely self-inflicted and within the power of communities to resolve. He emphasized that open waste burning is a local, reversible act, unlike distant pollution sources. Dr. Kyere noted that the solution requires not only policymakers but also individual households to decide whether to burn or wait for collection, and to separate waste instead of setting it ablaze. The campaign seeks to empower residents by providing awareness and viable alternatives to these harmful practices.
The engagement at Frafraha Community SHS is the first in a series of planned school interactions under the Breathe Adentan campaign. This strategic approach aims to cultivate future leaders who will champion clean air, instilling habits in young people that they will carry into their future homes. Students are viewed as crucial messengers, capable of disseminating what they learn to their families and wider communities.
Ms. Augusta Lartey Young, Assistant Headmistress of Frafraha Community SHS, expressed gratitude to the Breathe Adentan team for their initiative. She welcomed the partnership, acknowledging that such collaborations with the private sector bring essential resources and expertise to drive behavioral change on social issues. Ms. Lartey Young hopes for a long-term partnership that will benefit students through ongoing information and education to maintain clean air for future generations.
Kwaku Anim, Technical Officer at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), reiterated the Authority's commitment to fostering pollution-free communities. He stressed the EPA's role in enforcing regulations, including the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124). Mr. Anim affirmed that the safety and health of communities are central to the EPA's activities, ensuring all Ghanaians comply with the law to keep the air clean.
Dr. Sampson Manukure Atiemo, CEO of SCYCLES Ghana, an environmental NGO, urged students to view waste differently, highlighting its potential for income generation. He explained that waste segregation can become a profitable venture, thereby reducing the incentive to burn waste. Dr. Atiemo encouraged students to become ambassadors for income-oriented plastic waste management on campus, underscoring that the initiative's success depends on the environmental club and the wider student body.
The campaign will also collaborate with existing municipal efforts, such as the Adentan Waste to Wages Project (AdWAWA). This project aims to reduce, reuse, and recycle at least half of the Municipality's solid waste. Stakeholders were urged to collaborate on waste management and adopt healthy behaviors to protect both public health and the environment.