Clean Air Initiative Cameroon

11/08/2026

🕯️ A TRAGEDY IN BUEA. A WARNING FOR ALL OF US.

Two people have reportedly been found dead inside a house in Buea, South-West Region of Cameroon, in circumstances that have raised concerns about possible exposure to fumes from burning charcoal.

⚠️ The exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed by the relevant authorities.

But whether this particular tragedy is ultimately confirmed as carbon monoxide poisoning, suffocation, or another cause, it brings attention to a danger we often overlook:

🏠 THE AIR INSIDE OUR HOMES CAN HURT US.
Burning charcoal, firewood, kerosene and other fuels in poorly ventilated or enclosed spaces can release dangerous pollutants, including carbon monoxide (CO) and fine particulate matter. Carbon monoxide is especially dangerous because it is colourless and odourless and, at high concentrations, can cause loss of consciousness and death.

Indoor can also contribute to respiratory infections, asthma, heart disease, stroke, COPD and lung cancer. Globally, household air pollution remains responsible for millions of premature deaths every year.

🚨 Please take this seriously:

❌ Never burn charcoal indoors to keep warm or for cooking in a closed or poorly ventilated room.

🪟 Ventilate your home properly when using any fuel-burning appliance.

🔥 Never use charcoal grills, braziers or other combustion devices inside bedrooms or enclosed spaces.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Keep children, older people and other vulnerable household members away from smoke and poorly ventilated cooking areas.

⚠️ If people in the same enclosed space suddenly experience headache, dizziness, nausea, unusual weakness, confusion, difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness, get into fresh air and seek urgent medical assistance.

Let us also remember the two lives lost in Buea with dignity and compassion.
🕊️
Their deaths—whatever the final findings may establish—should remind us that clean indoor air is not a luxury. It is a matter of life and health.

🇨🇲 Let's make our homes safer. Let's talk about indoor air pollution. Let's protect the people we love.

👉 Share this message. Someone in your network may need to see it today.

Clean Air Initiative Cameroon

Clean Air. Sustainable Future. 💙💚

07/08/2026

🚮🔥 Poor waste collection is polluting the air we breathe.

In this article, Harris Ashangwa how inadequate waste collection is driving open waste burning and worsening in Douala, with serious consequences for public health and the environment.

📖 Read the full article:
https://www.isecoalition.org/single-post/how-poor-waste-collection-is-fueling-open-waste-burning-and-worsening-air-pollution-in-douala
Together, let's advocate for cleaner waste management and cleaner air. 💙🌍



https://www.isecoalition.org/single-post/how-poor-waste-collection-is-fueling-open-waste-burning-and-worsening-air-pollution-in-douala

If you live in Bonaberi or move daily through major parts of Douala, there is a reality you can no longer ignore. The thick smoke rising from roadside waste dumps. The sharp smell of burning refuse. The haze that follows you long after you’ve passed.Open waste burning is no longer an isolated act ...

06/08/2026

Your lungs don't know whether you're rich or poor.

They don't care if you're a CEO or a student.

They don't care if you drive an SUV or walk to work.

They only know one thing:
What you breathe. 🌬️

Every day, the average person takes over 20,000 breaths.

Not once do we stop to ask:
"What exactly am I putting into my body?"

We check our bank balance. We check our social media. We check the weather.

But we rarely check the quality of the air filling our lungs.

Today, our office monitor recorded a PM2.5 concentration of 8.3 µg/m³ — a GOOD air quality reading. 💚

That's good news.

But here's the catch...

Clean air is not something we should celebrate only when we have it. It's something we should fight to keep.

Because one traffic jam... One day of open waste burning... One industrial emission... One wildfire.....can change the air we all breathe.

🍃 Clean air is not a luxury. It is not a privilege. It is not a favour.
It is a human right.

So today, don't just admire the green reading.
Help keep it green.
✅ Don't burn your waste.
🚶 Walk short distances when you can.
🌳 Plant and protect trees.
🚌 Support cleaner transport.
🗣️ Speak up for stronger air quality policies. 📲 Share this message—because awareness saves lives.

At Clean Air Initiative Cameroon, we don't just monitor air quality.

We empower people with the knowledge and data to protect every breath.

Because every cleaner breath today is an investment in a healthier Cameroon tomorrow. 🇨🇲💚

The question isn't whether you breathe.
The question is... what are you breathing?

01/08/2026

Happy New Month!

As August brings the rains, let's keep working together for cleaner air and healthier communities.

Every breath is a gift. Let's keep it clean for all.

31/07/2026

🌍 Happy Friday.

Every morning at 6:30 a.m., Jacques leaves his home in Douala.

The day has barely begun, yet the streets are already alive.

Motorbike riders weave through traffic, their horns echoing from every direction.

Cars and heavy-duty trucks crawl bumper to bumper, releasing thick exhaust into the air. The sidewalks that should keep pedestrians safe are occupied by parked vehicles, roadside businesses, and informal vendors, forcing Jacques to walk along the edge of the road—just inches from speeding traffic.

With every step, he breathes in dust, smoke, and fumes.

A few streets later, he passes a pile of waste that has become a permanent landmark. Someone has set part of it on fire. The smell of burning plastic fills the air. He covers his nose and keeps walking.
By the time he reaches work, he hasn't just completed his commute.
He's already spent the morning navigating pollution.

Fast forward to the evening.
After a long day, Jacques begins the journey home. The traffic is even worse. The air feels heavier. His eyes sting. He's exhausted—not just from work, but from the environment he has had to endure all day.

For thousands of people across Douala, this isn't fiction.

It's Friday. It was yesterday. And unless we act, it will be tomorrow too.

Clean air isn't about comfort. It's about health. It's about dignity. It's about the kind of cities we choose to build.

Let's work together for a Douala where walking is safe, cycling is possible, public transport is cleaner, waste is properly managed, and every breath is a little healthier than the last.

Because everyone deserves to end the day tired from living—not from simply breathing. 💙💚

Clean Air Initiative Cameroon Harris Ashangwa

31/07/2026

The global disparities in air pollution’s burden can be linked to a variety of factors, such as population density, economic status, pollution concentrations, and access to resources.

The Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) has become a useful tool in learning about such global disparities based on the sociodemographic development levels of individual countries.

Our latest blog explores:
📌 The disparities in air pollution’s burden and exposure across low, low-middle, middle, high-middle, and high SDI countries
📌 How exposure to household air pollution and resulting burden has changed over time across SDI groups
📌 The impacts of both noncommunicable diseases and air pollution exposure across SDI.
📌 Factors that contribute to differences across SDI
📌 Opportunities for encouraging cleaner and sustainable practices to shift towards cleaner air

Read our blog, “Inequities in the Global Air Pollution Health Burden” and learn more about the use of the SDI to understand the disparities in air pollution’s global disease burden ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/2v8fpwht

22/07/2026

Throw back to one of the winning entries of our Clean Mobility Contest of April 2026.

Walking and Cycling (Active Mobility) are not only , they're , , and compared to other modes of transport.

We cannot talk about in our cities if we don't include and as key options for our urban mobility.

The Pan African Action Plan for Active Mobility ( ) is the continental roadmap that promotes , , and other human powered transport as safe, inclusive, low carbon, affordable mobility solutions to improve public health, reduce , and create more sustainable cities across Africa. We're very happy to be championing this vision through our work.

UN Environment Programme
Clean Air Initiative Cameroon
Harris Ashangwa
Climate & Clean Air Coalition