Air quality experts from over 40 countries have gathered in Pretoria, South Africa, to push for investment in clean air as Africa's pollution crisis deepens. The Africa Clean Air Forum 2026, which runs from July 13 to 16, aims to strengthen evidence-driven clean air action, scale practical air quality solutions, and build sustainable financing models for African cities.
Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts of South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) welcomed delegates, emphasizing the significance of the gathering. "It is an honour to welcome the global air quality community to the Africa Clean Air Forum here in South Africa," she said. "This year's forum builds on the momentum of South Africa's G20 presidency, which delivered the historic, first-ever Ministerial Declaration on air quality," she added.
The forum is taking place at a critical time when African countries are experiencing a growing air pollution burden. According to the Clean Air Fund's State of Global Air Quality Funding 2025 Report, the African region received less than 1% of global air quality funding despite several countries experiencing high levels of exposure to deadly pollutants. The health burden is staggering, with 1.2 million premature deaths reported across the continent in 2023, including significant impacts on newborns and children under five years.
Ghana has been particularly hard hit, with air pollution responsible for more than 32,000 deaths annually, making it the second leading cause of death after high blood pressure. The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) 2025 report warns that dirty air is cutting the average Ghanaian's life expectancy by about 0.8 years. In Accra, pollution levels reach up to eleven times higher than World Health Organisation recommendations.
The economic toll is immense, with the World Bank estimating that poor air quality contributes to economic losses amounting to up to 4% of GDP in heavily affected countries due to healthcare costs and lost productivity. In Ghana alone, the economic burden associated with air pollution has been estimated at $2.5 billion, representing approximately 4.5 per cent of the country's GDP.
Martina Otto, Head of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Secretariat at the UN Environment Programme, stressed the investment case for clean air. "Clean air is not only a public health imperative, it is also an investment in sustainable development, resilient cities, and economic opportunity," she said.
The Africa Clean Air Forum 2026 is being held under the theme 'Investment Case for Clean Air and Healthy Cities,' and its goals include highlighting progress on evidence-driven clean air actions, increasing the adoption of integrated solutions for air quality data handling, and discussing pathways for sustainable funding streams, including private sector-led investments. Key speakers include Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts of South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), and Martina Otto, Head of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Secretariat at the UN Environment Programme.
The forum is also expected to discuss the state of global air quality funding, with a focus on the African region, which received less than 1% of global air quality funding in 2025. The health burden of air pollution on the continent is staggering, with 1.2 million premature deaths reported in 2023.
Ghana has been at the forefront of addressing the air pollution crisis, with Parliament recently passing the Air Quality Management Regulations, 2025, empowering the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set emission limits, monitor air quality, and enforce regulations.
"Clean air is not only a public health imperative, it is also an investment in sustainable development, resilient cities, and economic opportunity," said Martina Otto, Head of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Secretariat at the UN Environment Programme.