Urban Greening and its Related Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Climate change is widely acknowledged to be a key contributor to most environmental problems (flooding, sea level rise, air quality decline, biodiversity changes, water scarcity, and an increase in forest fires), thus the need for green spaces. As well as promoting health, economic well-being, and environmental sustainability, green spaces in urban areas contribute to the functioning of our ecosystems. Although several studies have been conducted globally regarding green spaces and ecosystem services, there are still a lot of unexplored areas related to the topic in Africa, Latin America, and Russia. The various studies conducted in these and other sub-Saharan countries focused more on the loss of green spaces and their environmental impacts, with little mention of the diseases associated with these urban green spaces. This study explored the relationship between urban green spaces and health within the sub-Saharan African countries, emphasizing West Africa. The study looked at the nature of urban green spaces, the diseases that occur due to inadequate green spaces, and the usefulness of green spaces to health. Using a systematic review with the help of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) standards, the review found that there has been a drastic reduction in the size of urban green spaces, and adequate green spaces in urban areas can reduce and/or slow down the occurrence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The study recommends that Sub-Saharan African researchers should be encouraged to conduct more research on how urban greening impacts the health of urban dwellers. Also, national governments, city authorities, and urban dwellers should work together to safeguard these open spaces.