Summary:

•    Background and rationale

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 3.2 million people die prematurely each year from diseases attributable to indoor air pollution caused by the use of biomass fuels such as wood or coal. Electric cooking solutions are among the least pollutant-emitting and could provide a relevant response to this major public health issue. The project focuses on electric pressure cookers (EPCs). EPCs are insulated and hermetically sealed cooking appliances that cook food using steam pressure. EPCs achieve very high energy efficiency: field tests conducted by the Modern Energy Cooking Services program suggest that they reduce energy consumption by 50% compared to conventional hotplates (Scott and Leach 2023). This implies low running costs, lower than those of coal and gas, particularly for households benefiting from the social electricity tariff. In addition to these energy savings, EPCs also significantly reduce emissions of air pollutants at the point of use (no fuel combustion), including compared to gas that is a high emitter of nitrogen dioxide. These emission reductions are likely to reduce in particular the exposure of women in charge of cooking activities and young children to these pollutants, as well as the incidence of associated respiratory diseases in these population groups.

•    Objectives and  main methods:

Pilot study conducted in 40 households in the district of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. These households will receive subsidies for the acquisition of EPCs and training in their use. We will measure household consumption of traditional fuels (wood, coal and gas) and electricity, before intervention and up to 6 months after intervention. We will also measure mothers' exposure to air pollutants (PM2.5 and carbon monoxide). Finally, we will take advantage of this pilot study to study the feasibility of assessing the lung function of children living with participating mothers, in particular by performing spirometry tests in outpatient settings.