Adoption of Clean Cook stoves in Rural Ghana

Abstract

S02: Harmonizing insights from intervention studies, contextual information and resource availability to develop policy advocacy for clean cooking and domestic fuel adoption in Africa, Room 417, Floor 4, August 27, 2019, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Background/Aim: Clean cook-stoves reduce exposure to household air pollution and associated health problems, conserve firewood, and save time from firewood gathering and cooking. Despite these benefits, adoption of these stoves is low in many countries. The aim of the study is to help determine the best way to promote the adoption and sustained use of clean cook-stoves in rural Ghana. Methods: Participants for this study were sampled from the Ghana Randomized Air Pollution and Health Study (GRAPHS), which provided participants with BioLite (an improved biomass cook stove) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cook-stoves. Qualitative interviews were conducted to identify the motivators and barriers to the adoption of clean cook-stoves. Quantitatively, stove use and time use surveys were conducted. Behavioral change and LPG delivery models were also implemented to improve adoption of clean cook-stoves in the study area. Results: Participants in the qualitative survey reported that the clean cook-stoves cook faster, emits no or very little smoke, improves their health and promotes harmony in the home. Cost was the main barrier to the adoption of clean cook-stove especially the LPG stoves. LPG participants spent about 19 minutes less time gathering firewood compared to users of the traditional three-stone cook-stoves and about 15 minutes less time compared to users of the Biolite cook-stove. This was significant at a p-value of 0.002. Cooking time per cooking episode was lesser for LPG users compared to the other stove users. Conclusion: Understanding the motivators and barriers to clean cook-stove usage could help promote usage of these stoves. LPG were well liked, and save household time for gathering firewood and also time per cooking episode. Cost remains a critical barrier.