‘ Smoke Leads To 78,000 Untimely Deaths Yearly’

FG To Develop Clean Cooking Policy Soon

EXPERTS have asserted that smoke from firewood or charcoal has led to serious health problems, causing 78,000 premature deaths yearly. They also say 55 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents are emitted from the same source.

While speaking at a workshop funded by Heinrich Boll Stiftung, they explained that the resultant effect of pollution causes acute lower respiratory infection in children, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart diseases and lung cancer.

Acting Director, Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Halima Bawa- Buhari said: “Advancement of clean cooking would be best achieved, if stakeholders shared a common understanding of its benefits.”

She also cited policy inconsistencies and a lack of institutional leadership as major impediments to clean cooking progress, saying: “The calls for less reliance on biomass cooking, which depletes forest resources, causes environmental degradation, and contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions.