Women are often among the people most exposed to polluted air, yet their experiences have rarely been at the centre of the conversation.

In this special edition of Clean Air Report Ghana, recorded at the Africa Clean Air Forum in Pretoria, South Africa, host Michael Asharley meets four women from across the continent who are changing that. From scientific research and environmental justice to communications and urban design, they are helping reshape how Africa understands, measures and responds to air pollution.

The conversation explores why women face unique risks from dirty air, how gender influences exposure at home and at work, and why greater female representation is essential to building healthier communities. The guests also reflect on their own journeys into the clean air movement and the growing Women in Air Quality network, which is connecting professionals across Africa to drive research, advocacy and policy change.

This episode is a reminder that cleaner air is not just about better science or stronger regulations. It is also about ensuring that the voices of those most affected are heard, valued and reflected in the solutions that shape Africa's future.

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

Can Africa make the case for clean air before the cost of inaction becomes even greater?

In this special edition of Clean Air Report Ghana, host Michael Asharley reports from the 2026 Africa Clean Air Forum in Pretoria, where more than 200 scientists, policymakers, engineers, advocates and finance experts from over 40 countries gathered to confront one urgent question: who will pay for cleaner air and healthier cities?

Through conversations with researchers and decision-makers from across the continent, the episode explores Africa’s air-quality monitoring gap, the severe shortage of funding, the economic case for clean-air investment, and the home-grown technologies already changing how pollution is measured and predicted. From Togo’s first monitoring network and Kampala’s mobile sensors to AI forecasting in Côte d’Ivoire and classroom air-quality research in Cameroon, the episode shows that many of the solutions already exist.

What remains uncertain is whether governments, development institutions and investors will act quickly enough. With air pollution linked to about 1.2 million deaths in Africa every year, this episode argues that clean air is no longer only an environmental concern. It is a public health, economic and political priority.

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

What does it cost to earn a living in one of Accra's busiest markets? In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana, host Michael Asharley speaks with journalist Clankson Acheampong about her investigation into air pollution at Mallam Market, where traders spend long hours exposed to vehicle emissions, dust, smoke and grinding mill pollution. Her reporting found PM2.5 levels exceeding the World Health Organisation's recommended limits by more than twelve times in some parts of the market, raising serious concerns about the health of thousands of workers. 

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

What happens when a security measure unexpectedly sparks a clean transport revolution?

In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana, host Michael Asharley speaks with JoyNews journalist Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen about the increasing adoption of electric motorcycles in Bawku and the surprising benefits residents say they are experiencing. 

What began as a response to restrictions on petrol-powered motorcycles has evolved into a story about cleaner air, quieter streets, lower transport costs and improved quality of life.

Could Bawku's experience offer a glimpse into the future of transportation in Ghana? 

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

For millions of people living with asthma, the air they breathe can mean the difference between a normal day and a medical emergency. From dust rising off roads under construction to vehicle emissions, burning waste and cooking smoke, air pollution is increasingly becoming a dangerous trigger for respiratory illness across Ghana.

In this episode, Michael Asharley speaks with Ghanaian Times journalist Abigail Annoh about her powerful reporting on the growing toll of poor air quality on asthmatics. Through the story of six-year-old Myles and his mother Bernice, the programme reveals the emotional, financial and physical burdens families face as they struggle to manage a condition made worse by the environment around them.

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

You cannot solve a problem you cannot measure. Across Africa, millions of people are exposed to air pollution every day, yet many countries still lack the monitoring systems, data and technical expertise needed to fully understand the scale of the crisis. 

In this episode, Michael Asharley takes listeners inside the third Air Quality Sensor Evaluation and Training Facility for West Africa (Afri-SET) workshop, where scientists, policymakers, students and advocates gathered to strengthen the region’s capacity to monitor and manage air pollution.

The programme explores why air quality data remains scarce across much of Africa, how low-cost sensors are being tested and adapted for local conditions, and why accurate measurements are essential for effective policymaking. Featuring insights from experts at the University of Ghana, the Environmental Protection Authority and the Clean Air Fund, the episode highlights the growing effort to build a new generation of air quality specialists equipped with the tools to turn data into action.

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

Air pollution is often treated as a problem that only matters when the smoke becomes visible or the dust becomes unbearable. But by then, the damage may already be underway. 

In this episode, Michael Asharley speaks with three young climate and clean air advocates who are working to change how Ghanaians understand the risks hidden in the air they breathe every day.

From fishing communities in Jamestown to classrooms in Tamale and digital campaigns reaching young people across West Africa, Terry Kwame Azaglo, Amina Amponsah and Billchris Tetteh Ashiangmor are bringing the clean air conversation into places where it has often been absent. 

Through science, education and community engagement, they are helping people connect air pollution to their health, livelihoods and future.

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

Across Ghana, a new generation is stepping forward to confront one of the country’s most pressing environmental and public health challenges: air pollution. From classrooms and churches to research labs and data hubs, young advocates are educating communities, gathering evidence and building momentum for cleaner air.

Host, Michael Asharley speaks with three Air Quality Ambassadors from the African School on Air Quality and Pollution Prevention at KNUST: Shaddai Empress Molson Gattor, Godwin Ebo Fosu and Mercy Mawunyo Apaw. Their stories reveal how grassroots advocacy, environmental education, scientific research and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are being combined to tackle pollution in innovative ways.

The conversation explores why awareness must translate into action, how young people are becoming powerful agents of change, and why access to reliable air quality data is critical for shaping policy and protecting public health. 

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

Air pollution may be invisible, but across Ghana, a growing movement is working to make it impossible to ignore. From installing air quality sensors in communities to educating the public about the risks of dirty air, a new generation of advocates and researchers is turning data into action.

In this episode, Michael Asharley speaks with clean air advocate and research assistant Evans Quarshie, whose work with Breathe Accra is helping expand access to hyperlocal air pollution data across the city. The conversation explores how citizen science, community engagement and real-time monitoring are reshaping the way people understand the air they breathe.

The episode also looks at the bigger picture: how grassroots activism connects with Ghana’s emerging air quality policies and why data alone is not enough without public awareness and accountability. 

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting. 

Ghana’s decision to legalise commercial motorcycles, widely known as Okada, has been hailed as a major shift in transport policy, promising jobs, convenience and faster movement through congested cities. But beyond the economic benefits lies another reality: thousands of riders now spend long hours breathing in dangerous levels of traffic pollution every single day.

In this episode, Michael Asharley speaks with journalist Caleb Ahinakwah, whose reporting follows riders and traders navigating Accra’s traffic-choked streets. Through the story of riders like “Atentenben,” the programme explores how persistent exposure to exhaust fumes has become normalised, even as experts warn of serious long-term risks to the lungs, heart and overall health.

The episode also examines the broader implications of Ghana’s new transport law, from the dominance of highly polluting motorcycle engines to the limited public awareness around air pollution exposure. As the country embraces Okada as part of its transport future, the programme asks a pressing question: can Ghana expand mobility without deepening a growing public health crisis?

Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting.