The effects of cooking smoke, or indoor pollution, on the health and socioeconomic circumstances on families around the world are tragic. At least 1.6 million people die each year due to chronic exposure to indoor air pollution and many more are sickened or have their quality of life reduced. The World Health Report-2002 ranked indoor air pollution (IAP) from solid fuels as the fourth most important health risk factor in least developed countries, where 40% of the world’s population lives. In these poorest nations, indoor smoke is responsible for an estimated 3.7% of the overall disease burden, making it the most lethal killer after malnutrition, unsafe sex, and lack of safe water and sanitation.

Exposure is particularly high (and thus especially damaging) for women and children, who spend a large part of each day involved in or near cooking activities. Indoor air pollution is created when solid fuels (such as wood, charcoal, coal, crop residues, or dung) are burned for cooking or space heating in inefficient, poorly vented stoves.

In 2004, the International Energy Agency declared that the number of people worldwide depending on biomass fuels for cooking and heating showed no signs of abating. This is in part due to population growth, but alternative fuels such as kerosene and liquid petroleum gas are also unavailable or prohibitively expensive in many developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Technologies including improved stoves, chimneys, venting, and cleaner burning fuels have been shown to reduce health risks. Too often, many poorer rural populations do not have access to these innovations at affordable prices. Despite the magnitude of this growing problem, the health impacts of exposure to indoor air pollution have yet to become a central focus of research, development aid, and policy-making.

 
            In addition to acute respiratory infections, chronic exposure to smoke is a risk factor for chronic pulmonary obstruction disease, lung cancer, tuberculosis, blindness, and perinatal complications. Secondary health problems include burns as well as injuries sustained while gathering fuel.