Kenya Medical Research Institute

Nairobi’s population faces a hidden environmental health hazard from medical waste burning in hospital incinerators, releasing dangerous, microscopic pollution. With support from the EPIC Air Quality Fund, the KEMRI Air Pollution Centre of Excellence, in partnership with Air Quality Systems East Africa, will address a key gap in understanding how healthcare waste burning affects the air people breathe in Nairobi. The project will deploy 18 solar-powered air quality monitors across the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, linked to a reference-grade monitor operated by Nairobi City County. This network will generate Kenya’s first open access dataset on pollution from healthcare waste incineration. By making this information publicly available, the team aims to help policymakers and regulators strengthen waste management and emissions policies, support cleaner alternatives to burning, and reduce harmful air pollution. Ultimately, the project seeks to improve air quality and protect the health of communities living near healthcare facilities.

With support from the EPIC Air Quality Fund, the KEMRI Air Pollution Centre of Excellence will generate the rigorous evidence needed to understand and address emissions from healthcare waste incineration in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. The project will produce Kenya’s first open-access map and source-attributed PM2.5 dataset, providing a clear link between healthcare waste burning and local air pollution. These findings will equip policymakers with the data needed to strengthen waste management regulations, establish enforceable emissions standards, and accelerate the adoption of safer, non-burn treatment technologies, delivering cleaner air and better health outcomes for surrounding communities.

Dr. James Mwirigi Mwitari, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Director-KEMRI Air Pollution Centre of Excellence, Kenya Medical Research Institute