Experts partner to assess impact of firewood on learners
By George.Kebaso, February 26, 2024An estimated 67,000 Kenyans die of pollution – both outdoor and indoor – annually.
According to Dr James Mwitari (pictured), a Senior Research Fellow and Co-director, Clean Air Africa housed at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) this is about 124/100,000 population. Out of this, the country is losing 23,000 people to indoor pollution, indicating that of 100,000 people, the country was losing 42.
“Indoor air pollution from domestic biomass combustion is a serious health concern that disproportionately affects women and young children,” Mwitari said during the official announcement of a partnership between the University of Liverpool, KEMRI and Equity Group Foundation recently. The institutions partnered to evaluate the health impacts of transitioning schools from reliance on wood fuel to clean cooking with LPG Gas under the Equity’s “Clean Cooking Initiative”.
In Kenya, more than 90 per cent of schools depend on environmentally harmful wood fuel for cooking, with a typical boarding school consuming 250 tonnes annually. This practice results in high levels of particulate matter that are detrimental to health. Dr Mwitari noted that this exposure extends beyond school kitchens, infiltrating classrooms and playgrounds.
He revealed that the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Africa Global Health Research Unit, spearheaded by the University of Liverpool and KEMRI, will employ mixed-methods of research and advanced air pollution monitoring to evaluate the impact of the “Clean Cooking Initiative” on the health of cooks, teachers, and students, as well as educational attainment.