Cookstove Alliance
For many Americans, the most pressing concern about stoves is whether they are made of stainless steel. But more than 3 billion people in the world have more serious worries. They still cook the way their ancestors did—over an open fire or on a crude stove that creates indoor air pollution that can cause chronic lung diseases and severe pneumonia.
Indoor air pollution from these stoves is in the top 5 most significant threats to health in developing nations. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that exposure to smoke from these stoves kills more than 1.5 million people each yearExternal Web Site Icon. Not surprisingly, women and young children are at the highest risk.To support the effort toward reducing these health threats, CDC joined the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves as a founding member in 2010. The Alliance was launched by the United Nations Foundation with strong support from the Secretary of State. Its 350 partners are working together to help 100 million families around the world adopt clean and safe cooking solutions by 2020.