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Over 3 Billion People Breathe Harmful Air Inside Their Own Homes

According to Matthew Shupler in The Conversation, over three billion people worldwide are exposed to health-damaging, fine particulate matter air pollutants from smoke caused by traditional fires made within peoples' homes for cooking, heating and lighting.As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) cohort, the PURE-AIR study was done in 120 rural communities in eight countries (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). Polluting primary cooking fuels were used by 1,436 (57%) households. Wood was the most prevalent primary cooking fuel in African, south Asian, and South American countries. Open fires were most commonly used in Pakistan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Colombia; mud stoves were most frequently used in India and Bangladesh; and manufactured chimney stoves were most prevalent in China and Chile. National governments should help entire communities switch to gas or electricity for cooking, to reduce the exposure to indoor air pollution, Shupler wrote.

Africa: Air Pollution - Over Three Billion People Breathe Harmful Air Inside Their Own Homes

The Conversation Africa, 20 January 2021

You might think air pollution can be avoided indoors. But worldwide, more than 3 billion people are exposed to it within their own homes through cooking, heating and lighting with… Read more »
Rwanda: Rwanda Moves to Stimulate Transition to Electric Vehicles on Local Market

New Times, 19 January 2021

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) has called upon the public and private institutions as well as individuals to consider shifting to electric vehicles and join the… Read more »
Nigeria: How Nigerians Are Paying Deadly Price for Europe's Dirty Fuel

Premium Times, 10 January 2021

Nigeria has made several promises to ensure its fuel contain low sulphur, but its petrol and kerosene have sulphur over 20 times times what they should be. Read more »
Africa: 'Air Pollution a Co-Factor in Covid-19 Mortality'

SciDev.Net, 5 November 2020

Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland are among the world countries where long-term exposure to air pollution generated by human activity is linked to COVID-19-related deaths. These… Read more »
Africa: Climate Risks to Health Set to Worsen Inequity, Harm Children

Thomson Reuters Foundation, 21 December 2020

From poor families in flood-prone homes to women required to cover up in extreme heat, climate change will hit the health of vulnerable groups the hardest, warns Kristie Ebi Read more »
Africa: Countries Need More Air Quality Data - and Sharing It Unlocks Its Benefits

The Conversation Africa, 11 October 2020

The harm that air pollution is doing on the African continent seems to be growing. Estimates of premature mortality attributed to air pollution have increased from about 570,000 in… Read more »
Kenya: Nairobi's Air Has Been Polluted for Decades - New Review Suggests a Path Forward

The Conversation Africa, 3 December 2020

According to the State of the Global Air 2020 report, ambient air pollution was responsible for around 5,000 premature deaths in Kenya in 2019 alone. It is the fourth most… Read more »