Household Energy and Health: What's Come and What's to Come

Between 3 and 4 billion people globally rely on the inefficient combustion of solid fuels – including wood, dung, crop residues, and charcoal – to meet basic household energy needs. The household air pollution resulting from these activities is a major contributor to the global burden disease, mainly through particulate pollution exposure that results in an estimated 2.3 million deaths yearly, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. This talk will provide a historical perspective on the identification of solid fuel combustion as a health risk, with a focus on the pioneering work of the late Professor Kirk R. Smith; will review recent findings from randomized controlled trials around the world; will discuss national policies to address household air pollution and their effectiveness; and will discuss new strategies to better characterize exposures and policy measures to reduce this large and persistent burden of disease.