Health and economic impacts of transport interventions in Accra, Ghana

Overview

Globally, in 2010, the transport sector accounted for 14% of the greenhouse gases (GHG) budget (1). In developing countries, the rapid pace of motorization and limited investment in sustainable mass transportation and energy-efficient mobility systems have led to widespread traffic congestion and degradation of urban air quality levels, with consequential negative impacts on the environment and human health.

The WHO Urban Health Initiative (UHI) has rolled out a programme to support national- and city-level government officials in the use of health impact assessment tools that can be used to assess the environmental, health and economic co-benefits of future sustainable urban transportation action plans that can lead to reduced environmental emissions, improved air quality levels, and, thus, contribute to positive changes in the quality of life of citizens. Gains in health and well-being involve avoided pain and suffering from illnesses and reduced risk of premature death, while economic benefits consist of averted private and public health care costs and gains in productivity output.

This report includes discussions on transport and health data availability, and analysis for specific transport scenarios for the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), using the Integrated Sustainable Transport Health Assessment Tool (iSThAT). The tool provides a framework for the rapid assessment of health and economic benefits. Three mitigation scenarios have been modelled to compare the effects of different policy interventions with regard to land use, transport mode, energy efficiency and demand, and their relative impacts on public health and associated costs.