The survey, which sought to assess the impact of the harmattan on the health of the public, revealed that many people were experiencing various health challenges as a result of the hazy weather condition.

Mrs Selina Addo, a petty trader at Tema Station, said during the harmattan season she “experiences difficulties in breathing, my skin gets dry and the heels of my feet get cracked,” she said.

Mr George Aseidu, a student of the University of Ghana, said the weather seems drier than expected and with the ensuing coldness at dawn it is a challenge to wake up early to attend lecturers as usual.

 Mr Felix Ankomah, an ice cream seller also at the Tema station, said the level of harmattan is quite high and the dawn is too cold and as a result of this, he is unable to attend to his usual ablutions.     

Miss Gifty Attigah, a trader at Tema Station, said the weather condition “has increased the pain of my rheumatism and it is making trading very difficult for me.” Miss Adwoa Asabea, a worker with Zoomlion, a waste management company, said the weather has made sweeping difficult as more leaves fall from trees than expected and this is occurring throughout the day.

Moreso in a relatively short while, I have developed catarrh while attending to my daily routine, she said. All the respondents agreed that since the harmattan is a natural condition, their best option was to resort to products such as lip gloss, lip balm and skin moisturising products.