Kweku Poku Asante, a clinical epidemiologist and Director of the Kintampo Research Center under the Ghana Health Service’s Research and Development division, has shed light on the health hazards associated with using firewood and other solid fuels for cooking. He stated that the smoke from these fuels can negatively impact blood vessels and may lead to chronic conditions like hypertension.

In an interview with gbcghanaonline.com, Asante pointed out that studies on households using biomass for cooking show a link between household air pollution—such as smoke from cooking with biomass—and a higher risk of non-communicable diseases.

He particularly emphasized that pregnant women who use solid fuels for cooking are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure. “Exposure to carbon monoxide, especially during the final trimester of pregnancy, can result in impaired lung function in children. Moreover, these children often experience poor growth, which can elevate the risk of hypertension and other chronic diseases,” he said.

Asante advised pregnant women to avoid using biomass fuels to reduce household pollution and protect their health and that of their unborn babies.

He highlighted that early-onset hypertension in children, if not managed, could predispose them to non-communicable diseases later in life. He urged the public, especially pregnant women, to switch to LPGs (liquefied petroleum gases) as a cleaner alternative to mitigate these health risks.

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that around 2.3 billion people still rely on solid fuels (such as wood, crop waste, charcoal, coal, and dung) and kerosene for cooking using open fires and inefficient stoves.

Most of these individuals are impoverished and live in low- and middle-income countries. There is a significant disparity in access to cleaner cooking options between urban and rural areas; in 2021, only 14% of urban populations used polluting fuels, compared to 49% of the global rural population.

Household air pollution from inefficient and polluting fuels and technologies produces various health-damaging pollutants, including fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.

In poorly ventilated homes, indoor smoke can contain fine particles at concentrations 100 times higher than acceptable limits.

Women and children, who spend the most time near the cooking area, are particularly susceptible to these health risks. The dependence on polluting fuels also necessitates considerable time for cooking on inefficient devices and for gathering and preparing fuel.

Source by www.ghanaweb.com