INFINITY 970 AND BREATHE CITIES HOST CLEAN AIR EDUCATION FORUM IN ACCRA

Accra-based clean air advocacy campaign Infinity 970, with support from global climate initiative Breathe Cities, marked the 2026 International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies by hosting an educational forum for residents of Osu Ako Adjei and surrounding communities.

Held at the Mullen Lowe premises in Accra on Monday, September 7, 2026, the outreach brought together municipal leaders, health personnel, and local residents to address urban pollution hazards.

Briefing participants on the session's objectives, the Head of Infinity 970, Barbara Davies, emphasized that grassroots community engagement is vital for reducing domestic emissions, protecting public health, and improving neighborhood air quality across urban Accra.

Addressing the health risks associated with airborne pollutants, Dorcas Dadzie, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer and representative of the Director of Health Services for La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA), warned that exposure to poor air quality damages vital organs over time. She urged residents to adopt proactive health habits and eliminate practices that degrade local air quality.

To mitigate airborne dust and traffic fumes, a focal person on air pollution from the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly disclosed that the assembly has begun adopting and greening public open spaces to minimize loose dust particles.

Underlining the need for regional alignment, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ayawaso North Municipality, Haruna Mohammed Awal, called for inter-assembly collaboration: "The fight against air pollution cannot be won by one assembly alone, but by all working together," Awal stated during his address.

Air Quality Advocate Richard Donkor cautioned community members against complacency, urging residents to actively oppose rubbish burning and illicit waste combustion before falling victim to respiratory illnesses.

Adding a local perspective, a Labone resident participating in the event shared that community-level education empowers residents to take direct ownership of their immediate environment and stop open trash burning.

The United Nations observes the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies annually on September 7 to raise global awareness and accelerate interventions against air pollution. In urban centers like Accra, high vehicle emissions, unpaved road dust, and open waste combustion represent severe public health hazards.

Story by Reuben Sackey