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Air pollution and development in Africa: impacts on health, the economy and human capital

The Air Pollution and Development in Africa: Impacts on Health, the Economy and Human Capital Report assess the impacts of both household and ambient air pollution on health and the economy in African countries. Looking to the future economic impacts of ambient air pollution, the authors also examine the projected impact on children’s IQ. The study finds that widespread exposure to ambient air pollution in children across Africa is associated with losses of intelligence totaling 1.96 billion IQ points per year. This is not only of great social importance but economic relevance as high intelligence underpins a country’s human capital.

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