Tunis 2026: message from conference chair - saharan dust storms

In the build-up to the 13th IPCRG World Conference and 1st North African Interdisciplinary Forum, conference co-chair Habib Ghedira will share regular messages highlighting topics of interest and challenges in the region. Given the recent COP30 climate summit in Belém, this month Habib discusses Saharan dust storms. Registration and abstract submission for Tunis 2026 are open now!

Saharan dust events periodically spike particulate concentrations across North Africa and beyond, worsening respiratory symptoms and complicating air-quality management. These natural dust episodes interact with human-made pollution to amplify health risks.

Epidemiological reviews show that dust days cause short-term increases in respiratory hospital admissions (a ~6.9% rise) and modest increases in all‑cause and cardiovascular mortality; respiratory morbidity is consistently elevated during Saharah dust storm episodes. The literature is strongest for acute effects (time‑series and case‑crossover studies), but no robust studies yet quantify long‑term chronic effects of repeated Saharan dust storm exposure.

The most vulnerable are people with pre-existing respiratory diseases (asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis) and children, older adults, and outdoor workers face the highest immediate risk from Saharan dust storm‑related particulate matter peaks. 

_{Lwin KS, Tobias A, Chua PL, Yuan L, Thawonmas R, Ith S et al. Effects of desert dust and sandstorms on human health: a scoping review. Geohealth. 2023;7(3)}