Sensitive groups which include the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease, are at risk as ongoing dry spells are exacerbating poor air quality, Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) has warned.

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Children, infants and pregnant women can also be at increased risk of experiencing harmful effects from exposure to air pollution. People who work outdoors may also be at greater risk.

"This week, parts of Rwanda are experiencing poor air quality, which can be harmful to sensitive groups. In the dry season, hotter temperatures, low humidity and minimal rainfall exacerbate air pollution. A lack of rain also exacerbates dust from unpaved roads and construction sites," reads part of REMA&039;s statement released on Tuesday, July 30.

According to REMA, while reduced air quality is common in the dry season, "increased wildfires in neighbouring countries have also been recorded, with large amounts of airborne particulate matter being released and transported over long distances."

This situation, it explained, is also reducing air quality.

"Meteo Rwanda expects hot-dry conditions to continue, so a prolonged period of high particulate matter in the air is expected. We encourage sensitive groups to reduce their exposure by limiting intensive outdoor physical activities," the statement added.

In 2021, Rwanda launched an air quality monitoring system which provides access to real-time air quality information through a new website and mobile application. The monitoring system provides data on the quality of the air at 23 sites across the country.

The system provides a real-time air quality index (AQI) for each station and is able to highlight the dominant air pollutant responsible for air quality degradation during the reporting period for each station.

The estimated number of deaths from all types of air pollution in Rwanda in 2019 was 9,286. The top cause of morbidity in health centres in Rwanda is acute respiratory infections, accounting for 21.7 percent of all patients in health centres and 6.8 percent of patients in hospitals, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

Respiratory infections are the largest cause of deaths in children under the age of five in Rwanda.

Over three million premature deaths, globally, are attributed to poor ambient air quality per year. Approximately 87 percent of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.