Makerere University’s AirQo Project has partnered with KCCA to install several air monitors in different locations in Makindye division of Kampala.
Speaking at the Makindye division headquarters on Thursday, AirQo lead, Professor Engineer Bainomugisha said as part of the partnership, 10 locally developed real-time air quality monitors sensors to monitor the levels of air pollution in the division.
“We believe that the first step in being able to improve air quality is to measure it, know what the current levels of pollution are in different spaces, and its causes. We are advancing air quality monitoring and setting in motion air quality management conversations in urban centers and cities across the country by installing Artificial Intelligence-powered low-cost air quality monitors across these urban spaces,”Bainomugisha said.
He noted that globally, seven million people died every year due to illnesses connected to breathing polluted air, a situation he said is alarming yet there is a way this state of affairs can be avoided.
“We want to advance air quality monitoring by installing air monitors in schools, commercial and residential spaces and by giving access to this data, we are empowering the authorities in the division to develop and implement evidence-informed health and environmental policies to ensure that communities in this area are protected from the dangers of air pollution,” he said.
The Cultural Affairs officer at the US Mission in Uganda, Amy Petersen said the American government is interested so much interested in the quality of air in Uganda because they attach a great importance on the health of people.
“We live here and this is the air we breath but also our children breath. We have a personal stake in the issue. When I cannot sit outside to enjoy a beautiful Kampala sunset because of the smell of smoke or pollution, I know I am one of millions suffering because of the smog,” Petersen said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that our health is interconnected, and that one person’s actions can affect the health of many. The same goes for the quality of air we all breathe. Polluted, dirty air knows no borders. If one person pollutes the air around here with toxic chemicals, that action can harm the quality of air we all breath, causing diseases. And so, just as with COVID-19, we all must work together to find ways to improve the air we breathe.”
Petersen said the US government being the largest contributor to Uganda’s health budget attaches great importance to the health of Ugandans.
“Air pollution threatens the progress of 60 years of U.S. development support to Uganda. Today, air pollution is the fifth leading cause of death in the world and it contributes to poverty through
increased medical expenses, reduced labor productivity and children missing school due to respiratory infections. Breathing dirty air can cause severe damage to the lungs and other organs, triggering life-threatening conditions, including heart disease, respiratory infections, asthma, lung cancer and stroke especially among women and children. This is why the U.S. Mission in Uganda is taking action.”
The Makindye mayor, Ali Nganda Mulyanyama applauded Airqo and the US government for the air monitors that he said whose erection will provide insights into air pollution in the division.
“Air pollution is not something that we often think about as we go about our daily lives, we only notice the air is bad when we see and smell smoke or when we are behind a truck or a Boda Boda emitting fumes.I am glad that projects like AirQo, Makerere University are driving this initiative to raise awareness about air pollution and most importantly educating our local communities on its dangers and how we can prevent it,” he said.
The Makindye division mayor noted that the area is densely populated and with this comes major challenges mostly from human activities like poor garbage disposal and garbage burning but noted that one key action to changing the current threat of air pollution is educating the communities most impacted by it.
