Old cars dumped in Ghana wrecking health, environmental havoc

Experts have warned that old cars dumped into Ghana and other African countries pose threats to the environment and public health.

These second-hand cars when used by buyers emit toxic gasses that have effects on the health of the public when inhaled.

The Centre for Science and Environment has stated that “emissions of toxic pollutants, heat-trapping greenhouse gases and black carbon are worsening public health and climate change risks.”

Speaking to Joy News, Medical Practitioner Dr. Promise Sefogah said that in many cases when people inhale gases from these cars, they suffer lung and heart misfunctioning.

He stated that “during post-mortem, we see black spots in the lungs which is a sign of some of these gasses that gradually destroyed the health of the individual.”

Dr. Sefogah explained that sometimes the spots tell how much of the gasses the individuals have inhaled.

According to the WHO, over 6,500 Ghanaians die almost every year from air pollution and also acute respiratory illness caused by the air pollution is one of the top ten causes of outpatient hospital visits in the country.

William Owusu, a mechanic, told Joy News that some of these cars come from countries like America, Japan and Germany.

“Some of the cars come in really bad state and these high-power countries bringing the cars in do not really care about what happen to the country or its people when the cars are used.”

Mr. Owusu explained that some of the vehicles have to be fixed and remolded before they can be used but that some of the times the works are not enough.

According to UNEP, in 2016, in parts of Africa more than 80% of vehicles were imported and these cars’ toxics affected climate change.

The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterras, stated in a speech on climate said that it was time for humanity to get off the path of suicidal emissions because climate was changing faster.

Delivering the speech in New York at the UN headquarters he said “I have asked you here to sound the alarm. If we do not change course by 2020, we risk missing the point where we can avoid runaway climate change, with disastrous consequences for people and all the natural systems that sustain us.”

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