Monetary Value and Indirect Cost of Air Pollution-Associated Disability-Adjusted Life Years Lost in Africa in 2021: Advocating for Urgent Action to Combat Climate Change

Background : In 2021, the African continent lost a total of 53,445,685 Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) due to all causes associated with the air pollution health risk factor. The specific objectives of the study reported in this paper were to: (a) estimate, for 54 African countries, the monetary value of DALYs attributable to air pollution across all age groups; (b) estimate, for each African country, productivity losses among the working-age population aged 15 years and over. Methods: The study used a human capital approach to monetise DALYs lost across all ages and causes attributable to air pollution in 54 sovereign African countries, drawing on 2021 secondary data from international databases. The monetary value of DALYs lost due to air pollution in each country equals national GDP per capita, net of national current health expenditure per capita, multiplied by the number of DALYs lost. The j ^th country's productivity loss equals non-health GDP per capita multiplied by DALYs lost due to air pollution among people aged 15 years and older, and by the j ^th country's adjusted labour force participation rate. Results: The all-ages DALYs lost in Africa due to air pollution-related causes totalled 53,445,685, with an estimated total monetary value of Int$253,904,541,591 (57.2% from communicable diseases and 42.8% from NCDs), and an average monetary value per DALY of Int$4,750.7. The 19,780,679 DALYs lost among the African population aged 15+ years due to air pollution-related causes resulted in a total productivity loss of Int$55,978,917,442; an average TIC per DALY of Int$2,830. Conclusion: The findings underscore the substantial health and economic burden of air pollution in Africa. Therefore, it is imperative that all stakeholders support the development, implementation, and monitoring of robust national air quality management policies, regulatory frameworks, strategies, and action plans to mitigate climate change, protect public health, and drive sustainable growth in the green economy.