Air Pollution and Public Health
Thursday, May 29, 2008
By Francis W. Nyepon
Worsening air pollution in the Monrovia Metropolitan Area (MMA), is seriously threatening the health and well-being of the region’s estimated 1.5 million residents. Many residents especially the young and elderly are facing serious air pollution challenges, which is fast becoming a serious and visible health problem. The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) along with the Ministry of Health needs to consider a comprehensive strategy to reduce air pollution in Liberia, which is costing million of dollars that the government can least afford. Public health experts in Monrovia readily admit that air pollution causes respiratory disorders, eye and nasal problems, and is one of the major causes of lung disease in the country apart from smoking. For instance, specialists at the Ministry of Health maintains that over the past two decades, diagnosed cases of persistent respiratory ailments and cancer have increased considerably throughout the Monrovia Metropolitan Area (MMA); however, in many instances these conditions are quickly dismissed as not having any scientific or medical explanation in favor of something else, usually witchcraft. The major cause of air pollution in Liberia is harmful vehicle exhaust emission. This is compounded by the lack of a national power grid, and the widespread use of substandard and leaded gasoline and diesel brought into the country by the Liberia Petroleum Refining Corporation (LPRC), to power generators, trucks and automobiles. In addition, the widespread use of charcoal for cooking; burning of old tires, plastic and combustible waste as a means of waste disposal exacerbates the problem even further. Together these toxic pollutants, emits sulfur oxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide, which pollute the air, water and soil in the country. Air pollution caused by vehicle exhaust emission is widespread and can be easily curtailed without much action to improve public health. According to the National Port Authority (NPA), hundreds of thousands of used cars and trucks are being imported into the country each month at record levels without the EPA or Ministry of Transport setting standards for their entry. These vehicles and trucks are usually registered without proper emissions tests. Yet, many are 10-year old clunkers which severely causes known environmental and health problems to the population. For instance, according to the UN Environment Program (UNEP), Liberia is one of the few countries in the world still using leaded gasoline, with service stations providing gasoline where the grades are usually not distinguishable; thereby having little or no value to public health or the environment. The Ministry of Health also maintains that inhaling fumes from the exhaust systems of these car and truck puts many people's health at risk, especially young children and the elderly, which several experts at the JFK Hospital in Monrovia admits causes several diseases like respiratory system diseases, renal failure, bone calcification, and ophthalmic among others. The EPA specifically needs to take the lead and begin drafting a national plan of action in association with the Ministry of Transport, UN Mission In Liberia (UNMIL), and other specialized UN agencies such as UNEP, WHO and UNDP regarding vehicle emissions. In order to begin such a process, the EPA needs to first gather requisite information and then request international expert to visit Monrovia and review them so that a comprehensive plan can be discussed, structured and then put into effect. For example, the Monrovia Metropolitan Area (MMA) alone is said to have approximately 500,000 cars plying its streets and by-ways. But, the fledging EPA will have an uphill struggle in improving air quality and many of the environmental problems due to the lack of political will, authority, and a comprehensive game-plan to modernize the entire sector in a holistic manner. Notwithstanding, here are a few steps the Sirleaf administration could take to have an immediate impact on public health and the environment. For example, the Sirleaf administration could ban or discourage vehicles and trucks manufactured before 2000 from entering the country, while reducing taxes on newer model cars and trucks to ensure that better imports reaches our shores. Other measures might include a ban on the importation of substandard fuel, review and regulate all generators used in the country, including pick-sawing machines and operators of truck and car fleets. Also, the government needs to strengthen the institutional capacity of the EPA and prioritize its importance, relevancy and responsibilities by upgrading its portfolio and status to that of a fully functioning executive ministry, like most of the sub-region are doing to prioritize and place maximum emphasis on the environment, not simply on forestry, species and habitats. About The Author: Francis Nyepon is managing partner of DUCOR Waste Management in Liberia. He is a policy analyst and vice chair of the Center for Security and Development Studies, and serves on several boards of humanitarian, environmental and human rights organizations in the United States and Liberia. He can be reached at francis.nyepon@Gmail.com
