Extreme heat puts 70–80% of market women, other Ghanaians at risk of heat-related illnesses

Nii Ayitey Brown 17:00 - 16 August 2026

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Operations and Programmes Director, GAYO, Betty Osei-Bonsu

An estimated 70 to 80% of market women are affected by excessive heat, especially those who work without shade, according to data shared by the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA).The finding has renewed concerns about the growing impact of heat on people who spend long hours outdoors, including market women, pregnant women, children, the elderly, transport workers, pedestrians and other informal workers.

The figures were highlighted as the Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), in partnership with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and other stakeholders, began a heat awareness initiative aimed at drawing attention to the dangers of rising temperatures in Accra and other parts of Ghana.

Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO)

Speaking on the initiative, GAYO’s Operations and Programmes Director, Betty Osei-Bonsu, said the effects of extreme heat are already being felt in communities, particularly in busy market.

Operations and Programmes Director, GAYO, Betty Osei-Bonsu

“If you would also remember in December, there was a massive heat wave at the market and then we even had to have the intervention of the Ghana Fire Service to come and spray the market women for them to just stop fainting. We even heard some pregnant women were also fainting in the market. That's to tell you how severe the issue of heat is,” she said, highlighting an incident in 2025.

Market women among those most exposed

Beatrice Owusu-Appiah, a Standards and Compliance Officer at LUSPA, said people who work directly under the sun are among those most exposed to heat.

Beatrice Owusu-Appiah, a Standards and Compliance Officer at LUSPA

She identified market women, pregnant women, children, older people and other outdoor workers as some of the groups most at risk.

“The category of people who are most affected by the heat are the frontline workers who work in the face of heat, so for instance market women, pregnant women, children, the elderly, and any other outdoor worker who spends most of their time under the sun,” she said.

Kemi Jones Larbi, GAYO’s Adaptation and Resilience Coordinator, noted that the organisation was particularly concerned about informal workers who have limited protection from rising temperatures.

Kemi Jones Larbi, Adaptation and Resilience Coordinator, GAYO

“We are working with informal workers especially market women. We want to see a resilient Accra. We want to see that there are interventions that help market women such as our shade and our cooling solutions and we want to see that they are aware of heat and they know what to do to mitigate heat,” she said.

Heat affects health and income

Heat-related Illnesses | Heat | CDC

Beyond physical discomfort, the officials said extreme heat can have serious effects on people's health and livelihoods.

Beatrice Owusu-Appiah said severe heat exposure can contribute to heat stroke, heat rashes and other health problems, while also making breathing more difficult.

“For instance, when it becomes extremely hot, one can end up getting heat stroke, which is caused by the same heat. We also have heat rashes, high blood pressure, hypertension and a whole lot,” she said.

“It also has an effect on the air we breathe. The hotter the air, the difficult it becomes for us to breathe,” she added.

The economic impact can also be felt in markets, where high temperatures can cause food to spoil faster.

Beatrice said heat is often treated as a minor problem even though it is closely linked to health, the environment and household incomes.

“There is a key misconception about heat within our community and that is it has no direct impact within our lives as a whole,” she said.

She said heat can affect people's health, household incomes, the environment and even flooding in communities. She also noted that some market women are forced to take measures to keep their goods from spoiling because of the heat, adding that the extra measures can have implications for health and income.

Many market women lack information on heat-related illnesses

Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator GAYO, Amos Ansah said the problem is made worse by a lack of information about heat and its effects.

Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator GAYO, Amos Ansah

“We also realised that most of them had little to zero knowledge about the heat-related diseases like heat stroke, let alone know the first aid to administer to someone who is suffering from that,” he said.

He said some outdoor workers may return home with heat-related conditions without knowing that excessive heat is responsible.

“You realise that the effect is that people unexpectedly will collapse. At the end of the day, when you trace it back, you realise that it’s the heat,” Ansah said.

He added that many market women also have limited access to weather information, making it difficult for them to prepare for days when temperatures are expected to be particularly high.

GAYO plans cooling shelters

As part of the response, GAYO says it plans to provide heat shelters at Agbogbloshie where people can temporarily escape from extreme temperatures. Ansah explained that one of the proposed heat shades would accommodate about 20 people at a time and would have cooling systems.

“This is to provide ease as they are selling. Pedestrians can also lodge there for a while as they wait for their buses to arrive. So it’s for everyone on the grassroot level,” he said.

The initiative is being undertaken with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and other partners to increase awareness of urban heat and heat-related health risks.

What the public can do

Officials involved in the awareness campaign are also encouraging residents to take simple steps to reduce their exposure to excessive heat. Owusu-Appiah encouraged people to keep part of their compounds (25%) for trees and green spaces, saying vegetation can help protect buildings and the surrounding environment.

She also urged people to stay hydrated, particularly during hot and dry periods.

“I’ll encourage people to also stay hydrated at all times especially the heat/dry season because the sun drains us in the hot season,” she said.

She further advised residents to consider the materials used in constructing houses because some building materials absorb and retain heat. She also linked poor planning and construction without the required permits to ventilation problems.

“The purpose of the permit is to ensure that development is done in an orderly manner so when you go about building without it, it brings along problems related to ventilation,” she said.

GAYO’s campaign is ultimately about helping communities understand that extreme heat is notjust an uncomfortable feeling but It can affect people's health, food, income and ability to work, with outdoor workers and market women among those bearing the greatest burden.

GAYO says the awareness drive will therefore focus on practical ways people can protect themselves while also pushing for longer-term solutions such as shade, cooling spaces, greener communities and better urban planning.