Household Air Pollution in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Health Risks and Research Priorities

Household air pollution (HAP) which results from incomplete combustion of the solid fuels traditionally used for cooking and heating affects the homes of nearly 3 billion people. It is the leading environmental cause of death and disability worldwide with highest risks for women and children due to their domestic role. The high levels of pollutants found in HAP cause a range of diseases in addition to burns and scalds and injuries or violence experienced during fuel collection. Additionally household solid fuel use can pose substantive environmental risks including degradation from fuel gathering as well as climate change from release of both CO2 and short-lived climate forcers such as black carbon during combustion. Despite the broad support to find solutions only a few solid fuel interventions have shown that they might improve health over the long term especially when implemented at the scale required.