Domestic Brief Firewood is harmful to health
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ISSUE #188 (19 MARCH 2004 - 25 MARCH 2004)
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Most Nepalis use firewood cooking and heating. This leads to indoor smoke pollution, which causes Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI), especially in children. According to the Ministry of Health, ARI is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the villages. It is estimated that about three percent of Nepalis are affected by ARI, out of which a quarter are children and infants. Experts say the government isn't paying enough attention to indoor pollution as it has for more \'glamourous' diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria, despite the fact that more people die and are suffering from ARI and the fact that ARI is curable. "This particular health issue has not grabbed the attention of the donor agencies," says a paper by Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), an organisation specialising in indoor pollution related activities. ITDG has been supporting poor rural communities to help reduce major health risks from kitchen smoke and creating mass awareness on the dangers of firewood used for cooking. Indoor air pollution is one the four leading causes of deaths in the world's poorest countries, where 2.4 billion people use biomass in their kitchen. It is estimated that the burning of solid fuels lead to the death of 1.6 million people, especially women and children, each year.
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