Biomass cooking fuels and prevalence of tuberculosis in India

Abstract

Results strongly suggest that use of biomass fuels for cooking substantially increases the risk of tuberculosis in India.

Biomass smoke exposure as a serious health hazard for women

“…A few studies have found an increased risk of tuberculosis from exposure biomass fuels, although none of them measured the level of exposure specifically and confounding not fully accounted for in one (26)(27)(28). In these studies, adjusted OR for socio-economic factors OR were 2.58 (1.98-3.37), 2.4 (1.04-5.6) (26-28).…”

Indoor Air Quality: Current Status, Missing Links and Future Road Map for India

“…According to the International Development Association figures, each patient infect on an average about another 10 people and accounts for about 100 million workdays lost due to the illness every year with an equivalent indirect costs of about US$3 billion. Millions of Indian inhabitants have this disease in active form with about half a million dying every year [42]. National Family Health Survey of India showed that people living in households that use wood and dung for cooking are 2.6 times more likely to suffer from active tuberculosis compared with adults residing in households using cleaner fuels.…”

Air Pollution and Human Health in Developing Countries

“…After multivariate analyses, stillbirth has been associated with biomass fuel use by pregnant women in one Indian study (ORϭ1.5) [28] and with low birth-weight in Guatemala [29]. After multivariate analyses, tuberculosis and blindness (cataracts) have been shown to be related to use of biomass fuels in two national and two local studies in India [30], [31], [32], [33]. Unfortunately all these studies relied on the type of stove or fuel as the indicator of pollution.…”