Global health and international medicine project: Evaluating the environmental health benefits of using hybrid Justa Stoves in Sabanas, Honduras

The indoor air pollution caused by smoke emitted from traditional biomass-burning stoves in developing countries poses serious risks to human health. The stoves are used for basic energy needs, such as heating and cooking, yet they greatly contribute to the morbidity and mortality of developing nations. Families using these stoves are typically from poor, rural populations, and do not have access to more sophisticated heating and cooking technologies. The Global Health and International Medicine Project is a three-phase study designed to evaluate the respiratory and environmental health hazards posed by these stoves in the rural community of Sabanas, Honduras. The project also evaluates the effectiveness of installing a new hybrid Justa stove, an intervention which effectively removes the smoke from the indoors via chimneys, in homes formerly using traditional stoves. During Phase I and Phase II, baseline health and environmental data were collected and then the traditional stoves were replaced with hybrid Justa stoves. During Phase III, follow-up data were collected and analyzed. When comparing total suspended particulate matter (TSP) as an indoor air quality indicator, the TSP levels from Phase I were found to be significantly higher than levels from Phase III. The Phase I mean Carbon Monoxide (CO) reading was 4.81 ppm, while in Phase III the mean CO reading was 0.04 ppm, a statistically significant reduction at the 95% confidence level. Findings suggest that this intervention would have long-term benefits to air quality, respiratory health and quality of life for families using traditional stoves in developing countries.