The Numbers Don’t Lie: How Air Pollution Is Reducing Ghana’s Life Expectancy

What’s taking more years off our lives than smoking, unsafe water, or even HIV/AIDS? The answer might surprise you.In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana, host Michael Asharley speaks with Tanushree Ganguly, Director of the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) at the University of Chicago, to unpack the latest AQLI 2025 findings. The data reveals that air pollution is now the single greatest external threat to human life expectancy — and West Africa is among the hardest-hit regions.From the hidden dangers in Ghana’s air to the new parliamentary regulation on air quality management, this conversation explores the numbers behind the crisis and what they mean for our health, our policies, and our future.Listen as Tanushree breaks down the data gaps, the regional disparities, and the urgent steps Ghana must take to enforce its new standards — because, as Michael reminds us, every breath counts.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.