Abstract
About 90% of the South African population have got
access to electricity, yet it is believed that several households
continue to rely on traditional fuels such as coal, charcoal, firewood,
animal dung as their primary cooking fuels. The combustion of
traditional fuels in an inefficient cookstoves results in increased
Indoor Air Pollution (IAP), ill respiratory health and several cases
of premature deaths. This paper summarizes studies providing
evidence of an association between household energy patterns, IAP
and of acute or chronic lower and upper respiratory infections in
South African households. It is believed that IAP has contributed to
about 1400 premature deaths and current interventions programmes
to increase access to modern energy services including electricity for
poor households could be failing as reports of diseases and deaths
continue to be documented. Based on existing evidence, it is that
recommended energy practitioners should target achievable, yet
health-saving interventions targets for the poor.