BY PHUMELELE GAMEDZE
MBABANE – Eswatini has joined a growing international effort to improve the quality of air children breathe in classrooms, becoming the fifth government to sign the Global Pledge for Healthy Indoor Air.
Information, Communications and Technology Minister Senator Savannah Maziya signed the pledge on behalf of the country during a high-level United Nations event in New York on 24 September 2026.
The event, titled Healthy Indoor Air in Schools: Every Breath Shapes Learning, was held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly high-level week and was co-sponsored by Eswatini, France and Montenegro.
It brought together government representatives, scientists, academics, public health specialists and technology stakeholders to discuss the impact of indoor air quality on children’s health, education and general wellbeing.
For pupils who spend several hours a day inside classrooms, the issue is an everyday one, the quality of air inside their learning environment can have a direct bearing on their health and ability to thrive.
The World Health Organization has warned that children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution because their lungs and bodies are still developing. Exposure to polluted air has also been linked to respiratory infections, impaired development and other serious health risks.
Addressing the gathering, Maziya said access to clean air should not be viewed as a privilege.
“Quality air is a human right. Quality air is not negotiable, and technology will be a critical part of the solution,” she said.
The Minister said affordable air-quality sensors and digital monitoring platforms could give schools and governments a clearer picture of conditions inside classrooms.
Such technology, she said, could help authorities identify areas of concern and determine where resources and interventions are most urgently required.
“Digital transformation is not only about putting Government services online. It is about using technology, data and innovation to improve people’s lives,” Maziya said.
Her remarks placed technology at the centre of a public health issue that is increasingly receiving global attention.
WHO has developed tools aimed at helping schools assess indoor-air risks and identify practical measures that can reduce children’s exposure to harmful pollutants.
The challenge is particularly significant for Africa.
WHO reports that people in sub-Saharan Africa carry some of the world’s highest health burdens associated with indoor pollutants linked to household energy use. In 2022, about 923 million people in the region lacked access to clean cooking.
For Eswatini, the international discussion also opened another opportunity, using local research, innovation and technology to develop practical solutions.
Maziya said universities, young innovators, researchers and technology companies in the country could play a role by developing affordable air-quality monitoring systems suited to local conditions.
“We must ensure that innovation moves beyond the laboratory and becomes a practical tool for solving problems in our communities,” she said.
Eswatini’s signing of the Global Pledge for Healthy Indoor Air was one of the major developments at the New York event.
According to Air Club, the country became the fifth government to sign the pledge. A further 35 organisations also joined the initiative during the event, taking the total number of organisational signatories to 315 across 57 countries.
Air Club describes the pledge as the first international initiative formally recognising healthy indoor air as fundamental to human health and wellbeing.
The initiative was launched at United Nations Headquarters in 2025 and seeks to encourage governments and organisations to give greater priority to healthier indoor environments.
The Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology has linked Eswatini’s participation to the country’s broader digital transformation agenda, particularly the use of technology and data to address practical problems affecting communities.
The New York engagement also gave Eswatini a platform to call for stronger international cooperation to ensure developing countries are able to access technologies that can improve health, education and quality of life.
“We are committing to our children, we are committing to our future, but most importantly, we are committing to the future of the world,” Maziya said.
For pupils in Eswatini, the global pledge speaks to something basic but important: the classrooms where they learn should also be places where they can breathe healthier air.
(Courtesy Pic)
