Biomass Fuel (BMF) refers to burned plant or animal material;wood, charcoal, dung and crop residues which account for more than half of domestic energy in most developing countries and for as much as 95% in low income...Biomass Fuel (BMF) refers to burned plant or animal material;wood, charcoal, dung and crop residues which account for more than half of domestic energy in most developing countries and for as much as 95% in low income countries. It is estimated that about 3 billion people in the world rely on biomass fuel for cooking, heating and lighting. The biomass fuel chain includes gathering, transportation, processing and combustion. These processes are predominantly managed by women where they work as gatherers, processors, carriers or transporters and also as end-users or cooks. Thus, they suffer health hazards at all stages of the biomass fuel chain. The main objective was to assess health effects related to the use of Biomass fuel and indoor air pollution in Kapkokwon Sub-location, Kericho County, Kenya from March to May, 2013. The study area was Kapkokwon sub location, Bomet County, Kenya. The study population was 202 households. Primary females of the household were the target group as they managed the biomass chain. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted to assess the health effects associated to the use of biomass fuel and indoor air pollution. The research revealed that women suffer different type of physical ailments due to the biomass fuel chain. Physical exhaustion (86%), neck aches (78%), headaches (34%), knee aches (30%) and back aches (16%) were reported as the principal health effects associated with the third stage of the biomass fuel chain. Irritation of the mucus membrane of the eyes, nose and throat (100%), coughing (100%), burns (42%), shortness of breath (38%) and exacerbation of asthma (2%) were identified as principal health effects associated with the fourth stage of the biomass fuel chain (cooking). As a result of the detrimental impact of indoor air pollution (IAP) on health and mortality, many governments, non-governmental organization and international organizations should develop strategies aimed at reducing indoor air pollution. The strategies to include subsidization of cleaner fuel technologies, development, promotion and subsidization of improved cooking stoves, use of solar thermal cookers and solar hot water heaters, processing biomass fuel to make them cleaner, modifying user behavior and improved household design.展开更多
Unhealthy cooking is one of the major cause of mortality and morbidity and a risk factor for occurrence of tuberculosis among Indian women. India is the TB burden country in the world and accounts for nearly 20 percen...Unhealthy cooking is one of the major cause of mortality and morbidity and a risk factor for occurrence of tuberculosis among Indian women. India is the TB burden country in the world and accounts for nearly 20 percent of global burden of tuberculosis. The present study establishes the association between unhealthy cooking conditions (use of biomass fuels/chulhas, cooking in multipurpose room, Non-ventilated kitchen, living in kutcha/semi-pucca houses) and prevalence of tuberculosis in women. This study is based on primary sources of data collected through questionnaire interviews from 2101 women respondents belonging to different income categories from Aligarh city. The study examines the socio-economic characteristics, cooking conditions, monitoring of indoor air quality of different types of kitchen locations using different types of fuels. Symptomatic linkages of tuberculosis with type of fuel use, kitchen locations and house type were analysed. The results show that the women using biomass fuels/chulhas cooking in non-ventilated kitchens and multipurpose room, living in kutcha/semi pucca houses were most prone to tuberculosis.展开更多
文摘Biomass Fuel (BMF) refers to burned plant or animal material;wood, charcoal, dung and crop residues which account for more than half of domestic energy in most developing countries and for as much as 95% in low income countries. It is estimated that about 3 billion people in the world rely on biomass fuel for cooking, heating and lighting. The biomass fuel chain includes gathering, transportation, processing and combustion. These processes are predominantly managed by women where they work as gatherers, processors, carriers or transporters and also as end-users or cooks. Thus, they suffer health hazards at all stages of the biomass fuel chain. The main objective was to assess health effects related to the use of Biomass fuel and indoor air pollution in Kapkokwon Sub-location, Kericho County, Kenya from March to May, 2013. The study area was Kapkokwon sub location, Bomet County, Kenya. The study population was 202 households. Primary females of the household were the target group as they managed the biomass chain. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted to assess the health effects associated to the use of biomass fuel and indoor air pollution. The research revealed that women suffer different type of physical ailments due to the biomass fuel chain. Physical exhaustion (86%), neck aches (78%), headaches (34%), knee aches (30%) and back aches (16%) were reported as the principal health effects associated with the third stage of the biomass fuel chain. Irritation of the mucus membrane of the eyes, nose and throat (100%), coughing (100%), burns (42%), shortness of breath (38%) and exacerbation of asthma (2%) were identified as principal health effects associated with the fourth stage of the biomass fuel chain (cooking). As a result of the detrimental impact of indoor air pollution (IAP) on health and mortality, many governments, non-governmental organization and international organizations should develop strategies aimed at reducing indoor air pollution. The strategies to include subsidization of cleaner fuel technologies, development, promotion and subsidization of improved cooking stoves, use of solar thermal cookers and solar hot water heaters, processing biomass fuel to make them cleaner, modifying user behavior and improved household design.
文摘Unhealthy cooking is one of the major cause of mortality and morbidity and a risk factor for occurrence of tuberculosis among Indian women. India is the TB burden country in the world and accounts for nearly 20 percent of global burden of tuberculosis. The present study establishes the association between unhealthy cooking conditions (use of biomass fuels/chulhas, cooking in multipurpose room, Non-ventilated kitchen, living in kutcha/semi-pucca houses) and prevalence of tuberculosis in women. This study is based on primary sources of data collected through questionnaire interviews from 2101 women respondents belonging to different income categories from Aligarh city. The study examines the socio-economic characteristics, cooking conditions, monitoring of indoor air quality of different types of kitchen locations using different types of fuels. Symptomatic linkages of tuberculosis with type of fuel use, kitchen locations and house type were analysed. The results show that the women using biomass fuels/chulhas cooking in non-ventilated kitchens and multipurpose room, living in kutcha/semi pucca houses were most prone to tuberculosis.
