Solid Fuel Use for Household Cooking: Country and Regional Estimates for 1980–2010

Abstract

Background: Exposure to household air pollution from cooking with solid fuels in simple stoves is a major health risk. Modeling reliable estimates of solid fuel use is needed for monitoring trends and informing policy.Objectives: In order to revise the disease burden attributed to household air pollution for the Global Burden of Disease 2010 project and for international reporting purposes, we estimated annual trends in the world population using solid fuels.Methods: We developed a multilevel model based on national survey data on primary cooking fuel.Results: The proportion of households relying mainly on solid fuels for cooking has decreased from 62% (95% CI: 58, 66%) to 41% (95% CI: 37, 44%) between 1980 and 2010. Yet because of population growth, the actual number of persons exposed has remained stable at around 2.8 billion during three decades. Solid fuel use is most prevalent in Africa and Southeast Asia where > 60% of households cook with solid fuels. In other regions, primary solid fuel use ranges from 46% in the Western Pacific, to 35% in the Eastern Mediterranean and < 20% in the Americas and Europe.Conclusion: Multilevel modeling is a suitable technique for deriving reliable solid-fuel use estimates. Worldwide, the proportion of households cooking mainly with solid fuels is decreasing. The absolute number of persons using solid fuels, however, has remained steady globally and is increasing in some regions. Surveys require enhancement to better capture the health implications of new technologies and multiple fuel use.

Household fuel use for cooking and heating in China: Results from the first Chinese Environmental Exposure-Related Human Activity Patterns Survey (CEERHAPS)

“…Although coal has been banned in most urban areas, a large number of urban households were still found to use coal and other traditional solid fuels for cooking (20.3%, equal to approximately 144.5 million people). Recently, a study based on a national-scale multilevel model [4] estimated that in 2010, 46% of Chinese households using solid fuels for cooking (33-59% with a 95% confidence interval), slightly higher than our estimate of 43.3%. Taking into account the relatively large variations and uncertainties in both studies (e.g., the different methodologies used and targeted years), these results are generally comparable.…”

“…Changes in HFU are likely associated with economic level, the availability of solid fuels, and the availability of alternative, cleaner fuels [4,21]. Fig.…”

“…Because the majority of households in developing countries rely on solid fuels for daily cooking and heating needs, there are growing concerns over air pollution from solid fuel combustion and the associated health problems [4][5][6][7]. The most recent Global Burden of Disease study (2010) estimated that the exposure to smoke from household air pollution was responsible for approximately 3.5 million premature deaths globally, as well as other various health issues, such as cataracts and cardiovascular disease [8][9][10].…”

“…Most previous surveys have mainly focused on fuel use over one specific year, making it difficult to identify changing trends. Recently, a multilevel model was developed to allow estimation of household solid fuel use (SFU) for cooking over the time period 1980-2010 [4]. The model has been used in risk analysis and disease burden studies.…”

Policy trade-offs between climate mitigation and clean cook-stove access in South Asia

“…Household air pollution from the incomplete combustion of these fuels globally leads to 4.3 million premature deaths each year, with 1.7 million of those in South Asia. This exceeds the burden of disease from any other energy-related or environmental risk factor [1][2][3][4] . Solid-fuel use also perpetuates income and gender inequality by forcing users, mostly poor women and children, to spend long hours collecting fuels and to suffer from its adverse health effects.…”