Session: Indoor Air Pollution: Advances in Interventions and Impact Assessment

4049.0: Tuesday, November 9, 2004: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM

Oral

Indoor Air Pollution: Advances in Interventions and Impact Assessment

Disease and death associated with exposure to indoor air pollution (IAP) represent a major global health burden, with most of the victims among the world’s poorest and most marginalized people. An estimated 1.6 million people, primarily young children and women, die every year from exposure to elevated levels of smoke produced indoors by the burning of biomass (wood, charcoal, animal dung, crop wastes) and other fuels for cooking as well as heating. Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) including pneumonia, most closely associated with exposure to IAP, comprise the leading cause of death in children under 5 years old. In addition, strong evidence exists for association with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and lung cancer (in the case of coal smoke), in both cases primarily among women. More tentative evidence of additional health risks is emerging, including low birthweights, perinatal mortality, and tuberculosis, among others.

Learning Objectives: 1) Discuss the epidemiological evidence linking indoor smoke exposure to leading diseases and death among women and children worldwide; (2) Identify and understand the key factors that influence human exposure to the major pollutants; (3) Present current initiatives that are approaching the problem in integrated, cross-sectoral partnerships; and (4) Discuss the findings of recent field studies and challenges to achieving sustainable reductions in IAP exposure.

Moderator(s):

Lisa Buttner

8:30 AM

Introductory Remarks

8:35 AM

Generating global results to reduce indoor air pollution from household energy use