Satellite remote sensing for air quality and health research in Africa: a scoping review

Air pollution is a major contributor to the global burden of non-communicable disease, which disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). LMICs often experience air pollution levels exceeding the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) air quality guidelines due to limited air quality monitoring capacity and rapid industrialisation. In Africa, this challenge is compounded by sparse, unevenly distributed ground-monitoring networks, leaving significant gaps in exposure data, particularly in vulnerable communities and underserved areas. Satellite remote sensing offers a promising approach to address these gaps and strengthen evidence for policy and health research. This review aims to provide a narrative synthesis of studies that use satellite observations to examine the relationship between air quality and its impacts on human health and to provide recommendations for improving air quality and health research in Africa.