# The South African Medical Research Council has recommended phasing out coal-fired power stations after a decade-long study found increased health risks for nearby residents. The research, conducted with Britain’s Department for International Development, analysed three-million death certificates from 1997 to 2018, linking coal pollution to higher death rates and birth defects. Co-author Caradee Wright emphasised the need for stricter emissions controls, acknowledging that an immediate shutdown is unrealistic, but necessary for long-term public health improvements.
South African Medical Research Council calls for phasing out of coal power