Interventions

Physical Protection
Direct Provision
Improved Technologies
Alternative Fuels
Livelihoods Support
Fuel-efficient Techniques
Health
health
Photo by Erin Patrick, Women’s Refugee Commission. Woman and Baby, Thailand.

The use of biomass fuels for cooking/heating leads to high levels of air pollution, especially when burnt on traditional stoves indoors. Women and children are disproportionately affected by IAP. Families and especially children are at risk of burns and death resulting from fires caused by improper use/storage of cooking fuels or poorly designed shelters. GBV and physical assault during firewood collection can cause lasting physical and psycho-social damage and increased risk of contracting HIV; frequently carrying heavy loads of firewood over long distances also has negative health consequences. Undercooking because of lack of fuel can lead to foodborne disease; use of unsafe fuel sources can lead to acute/chronic diseases. Access to clean/sufficient household energy is also important for care of HIV/AIDS patients and health care in general.

 
File Icon Indoor air pollution and lower respiratory tract infections in children, WHO

Report of a symposium and a workshop held at the International Society of Environmental presenting preliminary results of a randomized intervention trial in Guatemala and discussing the implication for policy, advocacy and future research. The study involved 500 Mayan Indian children in households that used open wood fires for cooking and assessed the impact of chimney stoves on lung health and risk of pneumonia. Findings suggested a lower incidence of acute respiratory infections among infants up to the age of 18 months, supporting arguments that indoor air pollution has an effect on child health and mortality.



File Icon WHO's Fuel for Life Booklet (2006)

The publication focuses on the negative health consequences of indoor air pollution, advocating for improved cooking stoves and household energy.  It provides an overview of energy poverty, the connection of indoor pollution to the Millenium Development Goals, and the necessary investment and scaling up of interventions.



File Icon WHO energie domestique et sante (2006)

(French): The publication focuses on the negative health consequences of indoor air pollution, advocating for improved cooking stoves and household energy.  It provides an overview of energy poverty, the connection of indoor pollution to the Millenium Development Goals, and the necessary investment and scaling up of interventions.



File Icon WHO energia domestica y salud (2006)

(Spanish): The publication focuses on the negative health consequences of indoor air pollution, advocating for improved cooking stoves and household energy.  It provides an overview of energy poverty, the connection of indoor pollution to the Millenium Development Goals, and the necessary investment and scaling up of interventions.



File Icon Evaluation of the costs and benefits of household energy and health interventions at global and regional levels

This document reports the findings from the WHO’s global cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of household energy and health interventions using the guidelines from Guidelines for conducting cost-benefit analysis of household energy and health interventions. This technical report outlines the methods and data sources for the CBA and presents the results of intervention scenarios selected based on their relevance to the Millenium Development Goals. Interventions were chosen based on their approach: reducing exposure through changing from solid fuel to cleaner fuel and reducing exposure through a cleaner-burning and more efficient improved stove. The report concludes that the health and productivity gains outweigh the overall cost of interventions.



File Icon Air pollution from solid fuels and risk of low birth weight and stillbirth, WHO

Report synthesizing the findings of a symposium at the Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE). The review notes consistent impacts of solid fuel smoke exposure on low birth weight and still birth. Summaries of symposium presentations and evidence are presented along with recommendations for future research.



File Icon Indoor air pollution and household energy monitoring: Workshop resources, WHO

Brief summary of what to consider and measure during the evaluation of an indoor air pollution and household energy intervention project or program based on a training workshop organized by the WHO in 2005.



File Icon Indoor smoke from solid fuels: Assessing the environmental burden of disease, WHO

Technical document laying out guidelines for assessing the disease burden caused by household exposure to indoor smoke from solid fuels. The article discusses the evidence linking solid fuel use with major health outcomes and includes an illustrative case study for India. Determining the impact of solid fuel use on health allows for the identification and prioritization of environmental and public health interventions.



File Icon Firewood and Pneumonia: A Fatal Combination in Humanitarian Settings
A brief summary by the Women's Refugee Commission of the correlation between displacement and the heightened health risks of burning firewood indoors, and the impact this has on pneumonia cases, particularly in children. The document details the work of the Women's Refugee Commission's Fuel and Firewood Initiative in tackling these issues.

File Icon Clinical Management of Rape Survivors


File Icon Indoor air pollution monitoring resources


File Icon Methods for evaluating household energy projects