Tracing Health Impacts of the Plastic Value Chain on Vulnerable Populations in Kenya

Human health impacts associated with the plastics value chain are only beginning to be understood. Vulnerable groups—such as formal and informal workers across the plastic value chain including waste pickers, as well as women, children, and persons with disabilities—often bear the brunt of these impacts. The exact pathways of harm remain poorly understood but include exposure to chemical additives in plastics and pollutants released into the environment. Data about health impacts from plastics remains scarce, particularly in low-income countries, hampering effective interventions. This pre-project aims to assess the state of knowledge on interlinkages between the plastic value chain and human health in Kenya through a collaborative approach that brings together Kenyan and Norwegian researchers, civil society actors and relevant stakeholders from plastic waste management. This pre-project aims to develop an equitable partnership between the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), the Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD) and the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) in Kenya. The primary activity will be a week-long workshop in Nairobi in January 2025, where partners will integrate theories and methodologies from international environment and development studies, environmental chemistry and health sciences to understand health impacts of plastics, and to develop priorities for filling knowledge gaps. This analysis will be framed by three interlinked dimensions: the stages of the value chain (1), the harmful pollutants (2), and the social determinants of health (3). This pre-project addresses the Sustainable Development Goal 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages and will focus specifically on SDG 3.9 environmental health that aims to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals as well as air, water, and soil pollution and contamination by 2030.