Ghana's Air Pollution: Cooking's Health Impact

Household air pollution is a significant issue in Ghana, with traditional cooking methods using biomass fuels such as wood, charcoal, and crop residue contributing to high levels of indoor air pollution and negative health outcomes. In response, various interventions have been implemented, including the promotion of clean cookstoves and alternative fuels, to reduce smoke inhalation and improve health and environmental outcomes. Studies such as REACCTING (Research on Emissions, Air quality, Climate, and Cooking Technologies in Northern Ghana) and the Gyapa Charcoal and Wood Stoves project aim to address the health, environmental, and social issues associated with traditional cooking practices in Ghana.

Clean cookstoves reduce air pollution and improve health

Ghana has been working to combat household air pollution by adopting clean energy alternatives. In 2000, the World Bank estimated that 95% of Ghanaian households used solid fuels to power stoves, contributing to indoor air pollution. This issue is particularly prevalent in rural areas, where cooking often takes place inside the home over traditional clay stoves or open fires. The use of solid fuels, such as wood, not only harms the health of those inhabiting these homes but also contributes to environmental issues such as deforestation, soil erosion, and ecosystem imbalance.

To address this, organizations like EnterpriseWorks Ghana, Shell Foundation, and USAID have partnered to develop solutions, such as the Gyapa Charcoal and Wood Stoves project, which aims to reduce smoke and particulate matter levels in households. These improved cookstoves can cost-effectively reduce emissions and save households money on fuel expenditures. Additionally, they can reduce peak cooking emissions by up to 42%.

While clean cookstoves can help reduce household air pollution, they may not fully address the health risks associated with polluted air, especially in contexts with high ambient pollution. This is because individuals remain exposed to high levels of ambient air pollution (AAP) from sources like industrial emissions. To significantly improve health outcomes, policies must tackle all sources of air pollution, including traffic, waste burning, and industrial emissions, in addition to household cooking.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been working closely with the Government of Ghana to implement initiatives such as the Urban Health Initiative, which aims to reduce deaths and diseases associated with air and climate pollutants. WHO has also piloted a course for Ghana's health sector, including training modules on air pollution and health for clinicians and public health practitioners. These efforts are crucial in improving air quality and health outcomes in Ghana.

Traditional cookstoves and fuels are resource-wasteful and unhealthy

Ghana is facing a significant challenge in addressing household air pollution, particularly in relation to traditional cooking methods. The use of solid fuels, such as wood and charcoal, for cooking is a common practice in Ghana and is recognised as a major contributor to indoor air pollution. This issue is not unique to Ghana, as the burning of solid fuels is considered the largest source of indoor air pollution worldwide.

Traditional cookstoves, such as clay stoves or open fires, used with solid fuels, result in inefficient fuel combustion. This leads to increased air emissions and indoor concentrations of toxic fumes, posing serious health risks to families, especially women and infants who spend more time near the cooking area. The effects of indoor air pollution from cooking include acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, asthma, and increased risk of cataracts, blindness, and perinatal issues such as stillbirth and low birth weight.

To combat this problem, various interventions have been implemented in Ghana. The Gyapa Charcoal and Wood Stoves project, for example, aimed to reduce smoke and particulate matter levels in households by introducing improved metal stoves and ceramic liners. However, despite these efforts, Ghana still faces challenges in fully adopting clean cooking technologies due to factors such as pricing, manufacturing, and quality control.

Clean cooking interventions have been shown to significantly reduce pollution levels. The Ghana Randomized Air Pollution and Health Study (GRAPHS) evaluated the efficacy of clean fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and efficient biomass cookstoves, finding potential benefits in increased birth weight and reduced severe pneumonia cases in infants. Additionally, the REACCTING project in Northern Ghana is an ongoing interdisciplinary randomized cookstove intervention study testing two types of biomass-burning stoves that meet local cooking needs while reducing air pollution.

Overall, the transition to cleaner cooking fuels and technologies is crucial for improving air quality and public health in Ghana. While progress has been made, continued efforts are needed to address the unique challenges faced by the country in adopting sustainable and healthy cooking practices.

Solid fuels increase indoor air pollution

Solid fuels such as wood, charcoal, coal, kerosene, dung, and crop residues are commonly burned in open fires or rudimentary stoves for cooking, lighting, and heating homes. In 2000, the World Bank estimated that 95% of Ghanaian households used solid fuels for cooking, a much higher proportion than the 73.4% estimated for northwestern Africa. This practice is a major source of indoor air pollution, which affects the health of those who inhale the smoke, particularly women and children, who are often present during cooking.

The combustion of solid fuels releases dangerous particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and other toxic pollutants. These emissions can be up to 20 times higher than the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines, leading to indoor air pollution levels that are significantly harmful. Poor ventilation in homes exacerbates the issue, as the high concentrations of emitted particulates mix with indoor air, creating toxic fumes that pose serious health risks.

The effects of indoor air pollution from solid fuels include acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, asthma, and increased risk of cataracts, blindness, and perinatal issues such as stillbirth and low birth weight. The World Health Organization estimates that exposure to emissions from solid fuels causes approximately 3.2 million premature deaths worldwide annually, with approximately 237,000 of these being children under five years of age.

To address this issue, initiatives such as the Urban Health Initiative in Ghana aim to reduce deaths and diseases associated with air and climate pollutants. The initiative incorporates health recommendations into policies related to transport, waste, land use, and energy. Additionally, clean cooking programs promote the use of improved biomass stoves, which can reduce emissions by 50-80%, and clean-fuel stoves, which can reduce emissions by more than 95%. These programs are crucial in reducing indoor air pollution and improving the health and well-being of those affected.

Overall, the use of solid fuels for cooking, especially in poorly ventilated homes, significantly increases indoor air pollution. This pollution has detrimental effects on the health of individuals, particularly women and children, and contributes to a high number of premature deaths globally. Addressing this issue through initiatives and clean cooking technologies is essential to improve air quality and reduce health risks.

Household air pollution impacts health, the environment, and society

Household air pollution, caused by the use of inefficient and polluting fuels and technologies, has far-reaching impacts on health, the environment, and society.

Health Impacts

Household air pollution exposure leads to noncommunicable diseases, including stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. It is also linked to low birth weight, tuberculosis, cataracts, and nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers. Women and children, typically responsible for household chores such as cooking and collecting firewood, bear the greatest health burden from the use of polluting fuels and technologies. They spend more time exposed to harmful smoke, and the task of gathering fuel increases their risk of musculoskeletal injuries, violence, and missed educational opportunities.

Environmental Impacts

The widespread use of polluting fuels and stoves for cooking contributes significantly to ambient air pollution. Household air pollution, combined with ambient air pollution, is associated with millions of premature deaths annually.

Societal Impacts

Household air pollution disproportionately affects people in low- and middle-income countries, with around 2.1 billion people worldwide relying on solid fuels and kerosene for cooking. There is a large discrepancy in access to cleaner cooking alternatives between urban and rural areas, with a higher proportion of the global rural population relying on polluting fuels and technologies.

In Ghana, for example, projects are underway to increase community-wide adoption of clean cooking technologies. This involves understanding current energy usage and needs, decision-making processes within communities, and developing a portfolio of clean cooking options to replace traditional open fires.

Improved cookstove interventions are potential solutions

Ghana has been facing a significant problem of indoor air pollution, with 95% of Ghanaian households using solid fuels to power stoves, according to a 2000 World Bank estimate. This is a much higher proportion than the 73.4% estimate for Africa's northwestern quadrant. The burning of solid fuels, especially biomass, is the largest source of indoor air pollution, and the poor ventilation in Ghanaian homes exacerbates the issue.

To address this problem, improved cookstove interventions have been proposed and tested in various parts of the world, including Ethiopia, Peru, Nepal, Kenya, and Mexico. These interventions aim to reduce household air pollution and its associated health risks, particularly for women and children who spend more time cooking.

One example of a successful intervention is the Patsari improved cookstove project in Michoacan, Mexico. The installation of Patsari improved cookstoves resulted in significant reductions in personal exposures to particulate matter and carbon monoxide. Similarly, in the Santiago de Chuco province of Peru, the introduction of two different models of improved cookstoves led to substantial decreases in personal and kitchen concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO).

In Ghana, initiatives such as the Gyapa Charcoal and Wood Stoves project have been implemented to address indoor air pollution. This project involves manufacturing and distributing metal stoves and ceramic liners through a network of local craftspeople and entrepreneurs. The project also includes a public awareness campaign about the health effects of cooking fires and provides instructions to women on adjusting their cooking techniques to the new stoves.

To further enhance the adoption of clean cooking technologies in Ghana, Columbia World Projects has proposed a two-phase approach. Phase I (2019-2023) involves a series of assessments to understand the factors that could increase the adoption of clean cooking options. This includes a needs assessment, a behavioral assessment, an alternative energy assessment, and an air pollution assessment. By addressing the barriers to clean fuel adoption, the project aims to increase community-wide adoption of clean cooking technologies.

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