UNITED NATIONS, May 4 (UPI) -- The U.N. World Health Organization is working to halve the 1.5 million deaths caused annually by cooking fumes.
Nearly half a million people must gain access to cleaner fuels every day over the next 10 years, says a new report by the Geneva-based WHO.
"Making cleaner fuels and improved stoves available to millions of poor people in developing countries will reduce child mortality and improve women's health," Lee Jong-wook, Director-General of WHO said on launching the report "Fuel for Life: Household Energy and Health," which shows how investment in cleaner fuels will save millions of lives and produce economic benefits.
"In addition to the health gains, household energy programs can help lift families out of poverty and accelerate development progress," he said.
Cooking with wood, dung, coal and other solid fuels on open fires or simple stoves is the norm for more than half of the world's population, the report says. The resulting pollution is a major risk factor for pneumonia among children and chronic respiratory disease among adults.
Cleaner fuel alternatives, including liquefied petroleum gas and biogas, as well as more efficient stoves and better ventilation, could significantly clear indoor air, according to WHO.
On average, the agency said, for every 100 million homes that switch to cleaner fuels for cooking, some 473 million fewer people are exposed to harmful indoor air resulting in 282,000 fewer deaths from respiratory diseases per year.
As could be expected, women are disproportionately affected by such indoor pollution. In addition, gathering solid fuels also grossly impinges on their work time and ability to take care of children, according to Carlos Corvalan, Coordinator of WHO's Department of Public Health and Environment, who launched the report at U.N. Headquarters in New York.
