Health co-benefits and co-harms of reducing

indoor air-pollution in Sub Saharan Africa

Sustainable strategies to mitigate climate and improve public health in

developed and developing countries

International Scientific Conference

9th July 2015, Paris, France

Rasmila Kawan, Ali Sié, Issouf Traoré, Shelby Yamamoto,

Rainer Sauerborn Institute of Public health, Heidelberg University

Nouna Health Research Center, Burkina Faso (CRSN)

Indoor Air Pollution

http://practicalaction.org/images/smoke-333-200.jpg

Biomass burning -the single

most widely used fuel for

cooking and heating in Sub-

Saharan Africa

produce high levels of Climate

Active Pollutants, black carbon,

methane, Co2

Mitigating CAPs benefit

climate and health

simultaneously (Smith et al.

2009)

Aimed to measure the health Co-benefits and co-harms

of reducing indoor air pollution

Use of household level health data

Reduce the emissions of health damaging Climate Active

Pollutants such as black carbon, methane and carbon

dioxide via intervention of clean fuel, improved cook

stoves

Develop shared socio-economic pathways with local

stakeholders and relevant climate and health policy

makers

Research theme

Research theme

Focus on especially black carbon produced in indoor from

biomass fuel burning and effect on health and climate change

Measure the short-lived air pollutants esp. black carbon impacts

on atmospheric dynamics on regional and global scales

Modeling the future impact of black carbon by 2030, 2050, maybe

2100)

Analyze the costs and benefits of interventions in reducing black

carbon

• Emission control measures would have substantial co-

benefits for air quality and public health worldwide

• Approx. 98% of the deaths would be avoided if Black

carbon mitigation measures were implemented

(Annenberg et al 2012)

• Limiting emissions of Climate active pollutants would

have an even stronger short and long term impact on

climate change

Epidemiology

Modeling conducted by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the European Commission’s

Joint Research Center, UNEP/Shindell

Controlling Emissions

WHO 2012

3,7

4,3

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

3,0

3,5

4,0

4,5

5,0

Outdoor air pollution Indoor air pollution

De

ath

s i

n m

illi

on

Type of air pollution

Mortality from air pollution

Source: The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

Indoor air pollution deaths

Health co-benefits of climate-friendly

energy policies

Source:IPCC WGII AR5 chapter 11

http://www.southafrica.diplo.de/contentblob/3041112/Galeriebild_gross/477967/Biomass_Africa.jpg

Environmental co-benefit

Gender

co

-benefit

Co-harms

May act as a repellent discouraging malaria vectors from entering

and biting, which subsequently lowers the risk of the disease

(Yamamoto et al 2009)

an unintended consequence of

reducing biomass exposure

may be an increase in the risk

of malaria

Research and evidence

concerning this relationship

is weak http://beaconofhopeug.org/wp-

content/uploads/2013/08/mosquito-net.jpg

• Poor countries have not created the GHG stocks in the

atmosphere, rather, the rich countries have.

• Developing countries will emit more new GHGs than

industrialized countries

• Poor countries suffer most from health impact of climate

change

• They have the weakest adaptive capacity

• Very few climate scientists have an interest in health,

and vice versa

• The health motive can be the driver for committing to

change for citizens and policy makers (COP21)

The policy and the research

challenge

Thank you for your attention

Rasmila Kawan

Email: Rasmila.kawan@gmail.com

Institute of Public health, Heidelberg, University