AFRICA – Around one billion people across Africa are exposed to severe health risks due to the use of polluting cooking fuels, according to global energy and development experts. A vast majority of households on the continent still rely on traditional biomass sources such as wood, charcoal, crop waste, or animal dung for daily cooking, placing them at the centre of a worsening public health and environmental crisis.
This widespread reliance on unsafe fuels results in over 800,000 premature deaths each year, primarily from respiratory and cardiovascular conditions linked to indoor smoke exposure. Women and children are disproportionately affected, spending hours each day collecting fuel and cooking over open fires—time that could otherwise be spent on education, income-generating activities, or caregiving.
Beyond health implications, the use of these fuels contributes significantly to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Experts estimate that pollution from cooking in Africa releases as much carbon dioxide as the global aviation industry.
In response, African leaders and international donors pledged more than $2 billion at a recent summit focused on clean cooking solutions. The goal is to achieve universal access to safe cooking technologies by 2030, using alternatives such as LPG, bioethanol, electricity, and improved biomass stoves. The transition is expected to save lives, reduce gender inequality, and boost local economies.
Despite the availability of affordable and scalable solutions, the transition to clean cooking remains slow due to lack of infrastructure, funding gaps, and limited government prioritisation. Experts stress that urgent investment and political will are essential to prevent further loss of life and environmental damage.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.
