Indoor air pollution: Africa’s hidden killer

Lazarus Sauti

A recent report released at the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF on Africa) by the Africa Progress Panel (APP) says Africans are dying every day because 621 million citizens do not have access to reliable and clean energy.

The report, titled “Power, People, Planet: Seizing Africa’s Energy and Climate Opportunities”, shows that an estimated 600 000 Africans die each year as a result of household air pollution, half of them children under the age of five, with acute respiratory tract infection the primary cause of fatality, a notion strongly supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“Indoor air pollution is the environmental problem that kills many people in Africa, and these deaths are attributable to the following diseases: 12 per cent are due to pneumonia, 34 per cent from stroke, 26 per cent from ischaemic heart disease, 22 per cent from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and 6 per cent from lung cancer,” adds the WHO.

The Africa Progress Report 2015 and the WHO agree that energy deficits harm Africans’ health by undermining health services.

As a result, they contribute to one of Africa’s most virulent, but least visible epidemics, death and illness from the use of biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal, a major source of household air pollution.

Dr Bjørn Lomborg, an adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School, says most deadly air pollution comes from inside people’s houses

“Indoor air pollution kills 4.3 million people each year as 2.8 billion people still use firewood, dung and coal for cooking and keeping warm.

“This makes it one of the world’s leading causes of death,” he said.

Dr Lomborg adds that firewood, dung and coal fuels are often smoky and typically used on open fires in poorly ventilated homes, exposing people to carbon monoxide, toxic particulate matter and formaldehyde.

“Similarly, smoky unvented wicks in simple lamps that burn kerosene (paraffin) and in candles can result in substantial black carbon smoke emissions.

“Women and children face higher levels of exposure because of the time they spend cooking and inside the home,” he said.

“The poor suffer most: the less expensive fuel options they use are typically less efficient and produce more smoke, elevating the health risks. Simple homes built with mud, thatch, and animal skins rarely have a chimney and if there is a chimney it is usually a simple vent with no flue to draw air,” added Dr Lomborg.

However, Dr Lomborg says achieving universal access to clean cooking stoves, allied to wider measures, can save 300 000 young lives a year.

Accordingly, if government sectors in Africa and the wider international community are serious about their commitment to ending avoidable deaths of women as well as children, they must prioritise clean cooking facilities.

Kofi Annan, chairperson of the Africa Progress Panel, says the continent of Africa need to utilise all of its energy assets in the short and long terms.

“We categorically reject the idea that Africa has to choose between growth and low-carbon development. Africa needs to utilise all of its energy assets in the short term, while building the foundations for a competitive, low-carbon energy infrastructure,” said Annan.

Dr. Lomborg agrees: “The simplest solution is to replace inefficient, smoky stoves by more efficient, less smoky ones.

“Providing 1.4 billion people with such improved stoves would save almost 450 000 lives each year and avoid almost two and a half billion days of illness annually.”

He adds: “Because the stoves are more efficient, they would on average save about 30 per cent fuel, which translates into a savings of up to US$57 per household per year, and at the same time make cooking more efficient providing valuable time savings.

“In total, the health and non-health benefits are estimated at about US$52 billion per year.”

Annan urges African governments to support consumer demand for clean cooking stoves by exempting imported components from taxes and duties, and by subsidizing research and development, manufacture and distribution.

He also said policy decision makers need to embrace a judicious, dynamic energy mix in which renewable sources will gradually replace fossil fuels.

“Africa has enormous potential for cleaner energy – natural gas and hydro, solar, wind and geothermal power - and should seek ways to move past the damaging energy systems that have brought the world to the brink of catastrophe,” said Annan.

International Development Economist, Bjorn Larsen, believes much cleaner solution to indoor air pollution is to get everyone to use gas.

“Using gas would save 2.3 million deaths each year and avoid 13 billion days of illness, leading to more than twice the benefits,” he said, adding that African countries must integrate the promotion of clean cooking stoves in rural areas into national energy strategies.

For this to be successful, Larsen asserts that policy decision makers must lead the charge.

Frankly, indoor air pollution is one of Africa’s hidden killers. It is claiming the lives of many innocent souls.

Accordingly, tackling the challenge is of importance to the continent as it would save lives, liberate millions of women and girls from the drudgery of collecting firewood and generate wide-ranging environmental benefits.