One billion Africans have to cook on open fires or with fuel that is hazardous to their health and the environment, the International Energy Agency said Friday.
The problem, which its report says can be easily solved, causes as much greenhouse gas emissions every year as the aviation industry.
Two billion people across the world still cook on open fires or with rudimentary stoves fed by wood, charcoal, agricultural waste or manure, the IEA report found.
“It is one of the greatest injustices of our time, especially in Africa,”
IEA head Fatih Birol told AFP, where four out of five households rely on open fires and burning wood.
These fuels pollute the air both indoors and outdoors with fine particles that penetrate the lungs and cause multiple respiratory and cardiovascular problems, the report said.
It also adds to the destruction of forests, natural sinks that trap carbon and help fight global warming.
The IEA estimates that 815,000 premature deaths occur each year in Africa alone due to poor indoor air quality, largely resulting from a lack of access to clean cooking methods.
Women and children suffer the most, spending hours each day searching for fuel and keeping the fire going.
This takes time away from paid employment or education, the report said.
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