Rapid urbanisation and population growth in Africa have pushed people to informal settlements. Getty Images

Health risks at home: a study in six African countries shows how healthy housing saves children’s lives

The impact of housing quality extends beyond health to education and subsequent economic outcomes, particularly for children.
Nairobi’s Dandora waste dumpsite – still in use after being declared a health hazard in 2001. Reuters/Thomas Mukoya

It will take more than good intentions to clear Nairobi’s garbage mountains

Only a quarter of Nairobi’s solid waste reaches the main dumpsite east of the city. Piles of uncollected garbage are a common sight across the capital.
Household air pollution in Nairobi is primarily driven by fuels burnt for cooking and lighting. EPA/Dai Kurakawa

Invisible and ignored: air pollution inside the homes of Nairobi’s residents

Research in Kenya’s capital found average levels of hazardous solid and liquid particles in the air within households were three times more than the WHO recommended maximum level.
Just another day in Nairobi’s Kibera slums. Slums are characterised by densely packed settlements with inadequate provision of services. Reuters/Noor Khamis

Slum health is not urban health: why we must distinguish between the two

Despite increased global awareness about poor conditions in slums, the health of their inhabitants is a little studied phenomenon.

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