Regional leaders, health experts, and policymakers are gathering in Nairobi this week for the Regional Pollution Forum 2026 amid growing concern over Africa’s environmental health crisis.
Organizers say pollution contributes to an estimated nine million premature deaths globally each year—more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. In Kenya alone, air pollution is linked to more than 20,000 deaths annually.
The three-day forum will focus on addressing toxic waste, air and water pollution, hazardous chemicals, and emerging threats such as microplastics, which scientists have detected in human blood and placental tissue.
