Nearly two million people die each year as a result of inhaling lethal smoke from kitchen stoves and fires. Most of these deaths are a result of respiratory infections. Most victims are women and children under five. Smoke is the killer in the kitchen.More than three billion people - half the world’s population - depend on fuels such as wood, dung and coal for cooking, boiling water and heating.Burning these fuels on rudimentary stoves or three-stone fires creates a dangerous cocktail of pollutants that can kill. It is the poorest who have to rely on the lowest grades of fuel, and are the most vulnerable. Every year smoke kills more people each year than malaria.
True to their mandate, Practical Action is seeking support to solve this problem with modern technology, providing ventilation and cleaner cookstoves to affected families.
