Project team
- Joshua Vande Hey, University of Leicester, School of Physics and Astronomy (UK)
- Lisa Micklesfield, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)
- Michele Ramsay, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)
- Caradee Wright, South African Medical Research Council (South Africa)
- Martin Tobin, University of Leicester (UK)
UN Sustainable Development Goals addressed
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Abstract
Air pollution is a leading cause of premature mortality, and acute and chronic health effects globally. Sub-Saharan Africa faces a growing burden of air pollution driven by human activities and climate change, but whether outcomes from studies in Europe and North America can be extrapolated to African populations is poorly understood. Established UK longitudinal health research cohorts such as UK Biobank and ALSPAC have extensive data linkage to measured and modelled air pollution exposure. While similar studies have been undertaken in sub-Saharan Africa, sufficiently granular environmental data on air pollution exposure is lacking from longitudinal cohorts in this region.
As the global body of evidence of the health effects of air pollution exposure grows, this evidence should become more broadly representative of the major populations of different geographies and ancestries. Therefore, it is essential that sub-Saharan African cohort studies are positioned to contribute to this evidence base. The AWI-Gen-XHALE Academy of Medical Sciences GCRF research network identified air pollution data linkage as a key need and opportunity. The AWI-Gen consortium offers unprecedented longitudinal health, phenotype and exposure (indoor cooking and smoking) records, plus genetic data, which can be related to air pollution exposures.
This proposal aims to:
- Assess: Perform a comprehensive assessment of available global and local air pollution data across two AWI-Gen-XHALE study sites, with the intention to expand to the other 4 Sub-Saharan urban and rural cohorts in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Burkina Faso
- Develop: Develop a sustainable sampling methodology for indoor and outdoor air quality data at different levels of exposure in low and middle income contexts
- Impact: Build local capacity for air quality research; involve local communities in developing sensor deployment and exposure mitigation strategies; and contribute evidence for national policies