In Accra, the dumping of waste exported from Europe threatens the health of tens of thousands of people.
In the capital of Ghana, waste has been accumulating for decades - electronics, plastics, rubber, textiles. They are often burned in the open air, and about 80 thousand people live nearby, in ancient Padam.
Scrap metal collectors dismantle old equipment without gloves or masks. Smoke and dust may contain heavy metals and hazardous chemicals.
Residents who haul waste at the dump and live nearby report severe symptoms, but there are still no studies directly linking specific illnesses to Abagoblochia contamination.
In September, the Ghanaian authorities began removing about one million tons of waste to a landfill 50 kilometers from Accra. The authorities also promise to officially employ collectors in the waste recycling system and create up to 20 thousand jobs, but so far these are only plans.
The problem extends far beyond Ghana's borders. Some of the electronic waste and old clothes enter the country from abroad, and the local residents are forced to disassemble and burn it. As a result, toxic substances settle in the soil, water and air, exactly where people live, work and raise children.