Abstract for:Reducing Household Air Pollution through Improved Implementation of Exclusive LPG Use in Below the Poverty Line Households

Household air pollution (HAP) presents one of the most pressing public health issues currently facing society. About 3 billion people rely on solid fuel combustion for their main cooking and energy needs. When combusted, solid fuels such as wood, animal dung, and charcoal release HAP that has deleterious health effects. 2.8 million premature deaths per year are attributable to HAP, due mainly to pneumonia in children as well as lung cancer, chronic respiratory disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease in adults (IEA, 2017). Women and children are disproportionately impacted by HAP exposure due to the amount of time spent near domestic hearths. The transition to clean cooking is also critical to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN General Assembly, 2015). This study draws on data from a prior pilot study of 155 below the poverty line housholds with pregnant women to understand the dynamics of "stacking" of energy sources for household cooking. Findings highlight the critical role of accelerating the transition to exclusive household use of clean fules and role that formal modeling can play in clarifying conceptual frameworks in implemenation science.