An estimated 63 000 premature deaths in Africa annually can be attributed to urban outdoor air pollution, says a new study by the University of Dar es Salaam.

According to the study titled National Inventory of Air Pollution in Tanzania, this means Tanzania needs to take immediate action and have suitable data on the type, rate and source of air pollution, The Guardian reports.

Emissions that impact on human health, ecosystems, agriculture and materials are growing steadily, steaming mainly from industries such as power plants, transport and open burning. Significant amounts of CO emissions come from residential burning of wood fuels, savannah burning and vegetation fires and forestry, contributing 89% of total carbon monoxide emissions. Savannah burning also contributes to nitrogen oxide emissions.

The report advocates policies are put in place to mitigating the increasing health impacting emissions. However, it says this is not possible until accurate estimates of pollutants can be established, which will only be possible if the country’s system of data collection, and data storage is improved.

“The country must call on researchers to help define priorities and set objectives for reducing emissions as well as assessing the potential impacts of different reduction strategies on current levels of emission and forecast future emission levels to determine which emission source might require further control,” says the study.