In this latest update, we want to switch gears and share some of the World Health Organisation’s new data as it relates to household air pollution.
Why? In 2023 BBS will continue to work in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan with the opening of our second women’s centre. One of the key programs, which has approval from the local authorities, is a workshop and skills training program aimed at the reduction of household smoke and wood consumption in the kitchen.
This program has been selected because of the high rate of lung disease in Afghanistan as well as the deaths of children under the age of 5 that could be prevented by a reduction in household smoke.
World Health Organisation (WHO) data states that “4.2 million people die from exposure to outdoor air pollution, in addition to the 3.8 million whose deaths are linked to household smoke produced by dirty stoves and fuels. The main problem posed by heating and cooking is the smoke, which kills 54,000 Afghans a year. Most of those killed are children under five.”
The WHO also ranked the problem as one of the worst health risks facing the poor. “More than 95% of Afghanistan’s 30 million people burn solid fuels, such as wood and coal, in their homes, said the World Health Organisation, making it one of the top 10 countries worst-affected by indoor pollution.”
On November 28, 2022 the WHO released new data about household pollution which can be viewed by clicking here.
Please donating to our 2023 project and details can be found by clicking here. Our 2023 initiative is a continuation of our 2022 program which saw the opening of a women’s centre for life skill training and a small lending library for women and children in the Zebak district.
