Household air pollution and related health impacts

The World Health Organization (WHO) publication “Household Air Pollution and Related Health Impacts” (2025) provides an in-depth analysis of the global burden, trends, and mitigation strategies for household air pollution (HAP), a leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity worldwide. The brief reports that over a quarter of the world’s population—around 2.1 billion people—still relies on polluting fuels such as wood, charcoal, dung, and coal for cooking and heating. Exposure to household air pollution was responsible for an estimated 3.2 million deaths in 2019, including more than 330,000 among children under five years of age. The report identifies HAP as a major risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, lung cancer, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with growing evidence linking it to diabetes, cognitive decline, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The document outlines global progress toward clean household energy access, noting that 74% of the population had access to clean fuels and technologies as of 2023, yet universal access by 2030 remains out of reach. The brief synthesizes evidence from recent multi-country studies, including the HAPIN trial across India, Guatemala, Peru, and Rwanda, and the CLEAN-Air(Africa) study, which collectively show significant reductions in exposure to particulate matter and carbon monoxide through cleaner fuel use, particularly LPG and electricity. However, affordability, accessibility, and policy continuity remain key barriers to sustained clean fuel adoption. The brief highlights India’s experience with the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) programme as a partial success, increasing LPG access among low-income households, though sustained usage remains limited due to rising refill costs and subsidy reforms. In contrast, Indonesia’s and Ecuador’s subsidy models have maintained broader fuel adoption. The report emphasizes the gendered burden of polluting fuels, with women and children disproportionately affected through exposure and time-intensive fuel collection. Clean energy transitions, therefore, have multiple co-benefits: improving health, reducing poverty, mitigating climate impacts, and advancing gender equality. The document calls for high-level political commitment, development of country-specific roadmaps, integration of clean cooking into nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and targeted financial mechanisms to make clean household energy universally accessible. A case example from Nepal illustrates the adoption of electric cooking targets and alignment with net-zero goals. The brief further identifies the need for expanded research on electric cooking technologies, better subsidy targeting, and subnational analysis of household air pollution to address environmental inequities. It also encourages health professionals to engage communities, communicate risks, and advocate for clean household energy as a health intervention. Overall, the report presents household air pollution as a critical global health and development issue requiring coordinated policy, technical innovation, and investment. It positions clean household energy access as both a public health priority and a climate strategy, urging stronger intersectoral cooperation and sustained financing to ensure equitable transitions for vulnerable populations across Asia and beyond.