In Africa, which produces only 5% and consumes 4% of global plastic, growing population and urbanization are driving an increase in single-use plastic, heightening environmental pollution and health threats.
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have collaborated to galvanize national efforts to reduce environmental threats to health since the adoption of the Libreville Declaration on health and Environment in 2008.
Ever since, they jointly conducted several projects among which the Clim-HEALTH Africa project, which aims to help predict, prevent and manage acute public health effects of climate change in Africa; and the CHEMOBS project which developed a prototype for an integrated national health and environment observatory on chemical risks to human health and the environment.
This year, World Environment Day is being marked under the theme “Solutions to plastic pollution”. Alexander Mangwiro, UNEP Regional Coordinator for Chemicals, Waste and Air Quality, discusses the threat of plastic pollution and how it can be addressed.
Plastic pollution has various negative impacts on health in Africa, affecting both human populations and ecosystems. Plastic waste, particularly single-use plastics and microplastics, can contaminate freshwater sources such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater. This pollution can lead to the consumption of microplastics through contaminated drinking water, potentially posing risks to human health. Likewise, plastic can end up in the food chain.
For instance, plastic in our oceans breaks down into smaller fragments known as microplastics, which are ingested by marine organisms. When humans consume seafood contaminated with microplastics, there is a risk of microplastic transfer up the food chain, with potentially severe health consequences. Plastics may also contain toxic chemicals, which can leach into the environment and potentially enter the food chain. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals, particularly through the consumption of contaminated food or water, can have adverse health effects, including endocrine disruption, developmental issues and increased cancer risks.
In many African cities and villages, improper disposal of plastic waste can create breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes. In addition, the burning of plastic waste, a common practice in some regions of Africa, releases harmful pollutants into the air, including toxic gases and particulate matter.
Inhaling these pollutants can cause respiratory problems, exacerbate existing respiratory conditions, and contribute to air pollution-related diseases. Across the continent, there is barely any plastic treatment infrastructure in place.
The indiscriminate disposal of plastic will likely reduce the porosity of soil to the point of breaking the regeneration cycle of water resources and reduce the quality of soils for agricultural practice.
Therefore, plastic pollution also has huge environmental and socio-economic consequences, including the degradation of ecosystems. This can have indirect health impacts as it disrupts the balance of ecosystems that provide essential services, such as water purification, carbon sequestration, and disease regulation, and can undermine local economies and livelihoods through food insecurity.
A Guest Editorial