HEI's Annual Conference 2025

Sunday, May 4 - Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at the Austin Marriott Downtown Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Workshop on Air Pollution and Health in East Africa: Current Evidence and Priorities for Future Action

February 18, 2025 to February 19, 2025

Background

The Health Effect Institute’s (HEI) East Africa initiative aims to deepen the capacity to assess and communicate the health effects of air pollution, closing a critical mismatch between the impacts of air pollution and current capacity in select countries in the region. Working with key local partners and an active network of experts, we pursue opportunities to provide compelling science to fill existing knowledge gaps, drive policy action and provide technical support to synthesize and communicate the best available science. This workshop is a follow up to the March 2023 Scoping Workshop.

In February 2025, HEI plans to bring together a broad range of organizations and stakeholders to facilitate a discussion among different actors on the conclusions of a scoping review report entitled “Health Effects of Air Pollution in East Africa: Current Evidence and Priorities for Future Action”, with a view to developing a shared understanding of the current challenges and opportunities in air pollution and health research across East Africa.

Goals

This workshop aims to:

  • Take stock of progress on air quality and health in East Africa by examining the last several years of data, assessing research in progress, and surveying technical capacity for conducting research on health effects of air pollution.
  • Develop a shared understanding of the current challenges and opportunities in air pollution and health research across East Africa, while considering the diversity of local contexts, needs and approaches.
  • Identify 3-5 short and medium-term goals for research and action that should be of high priority for funders.

Deliberations at the workshop will feed into HEI’s future work and engagement in East Africa and contribute to focusing air quality policies and actions on those most beneficial to public health in the region. A summary will also be disseminated broadly for public use.

Organizers

The workshop is being organized by the Health Effects Institute in partnership with AirQo, World Resources Institute Africa and the Eastern Africa GEOHealth Hub with financial support from the Clean Air Fund.

Meeting Platform

The workshop will be held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Kampala, Uganda. The workshop will be in-person only and will be conducted in English.

For questions, please contact Victor Nthusi at: vnthusi@healtheffects.org.

Sessions: 

Health Effects of Air Pollution in East Africa: Context, Current Evidence and Ongoing Research

Feb. 18, 2025 - 8:30am

9:00 AM Welcome

Victor Nthusi, Health Effects Institute, USA

9:20 AM Introduction/icebreaker

9:45 AM Opening Remarks

Sarah Zalwango, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda

10:20 AM The Air Pollution Disease Burden in East Africa

Victor Nthusi and Pallavi Pant, Health Effects Institute, USA

10:45 AM General Discussion

11:00 AM Tea/Coffee Break

Each of the following sessions will feature 2-3 talks of 10 minutes each and a short Q&A followed by an open plenary discussion.

11:30 AM Session 1: Characterizing Air Pollution Levels and Exposures

Chair: Egide Kalisa, Western University of Ontario, Canada

• Overview – air quality monitoring across East Africa
Engineer Bainomugisha, AirQo, Uganda

• Key findings from the scoping review
Egide Kalisa, Western University of Ontario, Canada

12:15 PM Group Discussion (charge questions)

1)    What types of air quality monitoring data are currently available, and what is missing?
2)    How are programs across East Africa bridging data gaps in air pollution and health research?
3)    What are the future opportunities for characterization of pollution levels, or modelling/forecasting of air quality? 

1:00 PM Lunch

2:00 PM Session 1I: Health Effects of Exposure to Air Pollution

Chair: Rebbeca Nantanda, Makerere University Lung Institute, Uganda


• Overview – Key findings from the scoping review
Rebbeca Nantanda, Makerere University Lung Institute, Uganda

• GEOHealth Hub 
Nicholas Oguge, Eastern Africa GEOHealth Hub, Kenya
 

2:45 PM Group Discussion (charge questions)

1)    What are the key health outcomes of interest for air pollution and health research in East Africa, given the disease burden in the region?
2)    What are the best opportunities for leveraging available health data to conduct air pollution and health research, especially for understanding long-term health effects of air pollution? 
3)    What are the specific barriers you’ve faced in relation to air pollution and health research? 

3:30 PM Tea/Coffee break

4:00 PM Regroup and summary of discussions     

Moderator: Pallavi Pant and Caradee Wright 
 

4:45 PM Meeting adjourns

Prioritizing Actions to Maximize Public Health Benefits

Feb. 19, 2025 - 9:00am

9:15 AM Data and Policy Needs and Advancements

Chair: Alex Ndyabakira, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda 


• Perspectives on policymaking in East Africa.
Akiya Oyoo, Ministry of Health, Uganda
Lazarus Kivai, Nairobi City County Government, Kenya
Said Abdella, Addis Ababa Environment Protection Agency, Ethiopia 

10:05 AM Group Discussion (charge questions)

1)    What is the current data and evidence needed for policy formulation?
2)    Can you share any examples of instances where scientific data/evidence have been useful in your decision making?
3)    How can the scientific community support ongoing policy efforts?

11:00 AM Tea/Coffee Break

12:30 PM Q&A and Discussion

1:00 PM Lunch

2:00 PM Session IV: Future Prospects for Research and Action on Air Pollution and Consideration for Climate Change and Public Health

Chair: Caradee Wright, South African Medical Research Council, South Africa

• Key Recommendations from Scoping Review and Possible Next Steps 
Caradee Wright, South Africa Medical Research Council, South Africa
•    Lessons from Air Pollution Centre of Excellence, Kenya 
Arthur Gohole, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya
• Establishing and running the Nairobi-Air Quality Group (N-Air) 
Ivy Murgor, World Resources Institute Africa

2:45 PM Group Discussion (charge questions)

1)    Technical capacity and infrastructure continues to be a barrier for research in the region, What are some concrete ideas for strengthening local capacity? What has been successful? What hasn’t worked? 
2)    In the context of future opportunities, what are the 2-3 research priorities, keeping in mind the policy and institutional needs?

3:30 PM Tea/Coffee break

3:45 PM Reflections/Next Steps

4:00 PM Vote of thanks

4:15 PM Meeting adjourns

Location
Golden Tulip Hotel
12B Kafu Rd
Kampala
Uganda

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