KHRC-Led Publication Links Air Pollution and Climate to Heart Diseases and Deaths in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

April 23, 2025 | News Feed | Reading time: 4 min

A systematic review conducted by researchers from the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC) and the University of Utrecht has revealed that exposures from air pollution and extreme weather conditions are major factors contributing to the rising cases of heart diseases and deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Published in the Global Heart journal, the research paper titled; “Climate, Air Quality and Their Contribution to Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” reviewed 7,306 scientific papers from PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, LILACS, AIM, Web of Science, and Global Health. After careful screening, 58 key studies from Asia, Africa, and countries including Iran and Brazil, that focused on the relationship between household air pollution and cardiovascular diseases in LMICs, were selected.

Led by Ms. Stephaney Gyaase, Principal Biostatistician at KHRC, the paper reviewed research on air pollutants such as PM2.5 and PM10 (tiny particles in the air), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), black carbon (soot), solid fuels (like charcoal or firewood), and temperature changes.

The researchers found that both short-term and long-term exposure to polluted air, especially fine dust particles (PM2.5), car and factory gases like nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃), can significantly increase the risk of heart diseases, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases-related deaths.

They also highlighted the dangers of indoor air pollution from using charcoal, firewood, and other solid fuels for cooking, stressing that breathing in smoke from these fuels regularly can damage the heart. In addition to these, extreme heat and cold were found to worsen heart conditions, especially in communities with limited access to healthcare..

An important finding from the review is that over 70% of the existing research came from mainland China, while there was very little data from African countries, including Ghana—despite the fact that heart disease is growing rapidly across the continent.

Ms. Gyaase and her colleagues therefore recommend that more studies be done in Sub-Saharan Africa, where environmental challenges and health systems are very different, suggesting that future research focus on how specific types of cardiovascular diseases are linked to different kinds of pollution and climate. They also recommend that governments, health agencies, and development partners invest in clean energy, educate health workers, and include environmental health risks in national health strategies.

Read the full publication here:

https://doi.org/10.5334/gh.1409