The Bottled Gas for Better Life Pilot: An Evaluation of the First Microfinance Initiative in Cameroon to Support Households Switch from Solid Fuel to LPG for Cooking

Abstract

IntroductionThe LPG Adoption in Cameroon Evaluation (LACE) studies aimed to identify and address barriers to adoption and use of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) as a clean fuel. This included evaluation of a microfinance scheme (paid back over 6 months) to fund an LPG start-up kit (stove, equipment and gas; US$95), a barrier to adoption identified by LACE. We report here impacts on fuel-use practices, household air pollution exposure, acute health symptoms and burns in loan beneficiaries.Methods110 beneficiaries completed household surveys prior to receiving the LPG start-up kit, and then again after the loan period. Additional surveys were completed by 500 households each from beneficiary and control communities. 48-hr PM2.5 samples (kitchen concentrations and cook exposures) were measured in 35 beneficiary households at the two data collection periods using the RTI MicroPEM.ResultsMost households repaid the loan (89%), although 41% reported difficulty making repayments. After the loan, primary fuel use changed from wood (75%) and other biomass (15%) to LPG (79%), although no households used LPG exclusively. Levels of PM2.5 declined from baseline to after the loan period for kitchen concentrations (geometric mean (GM) 337.9 µg/m3 vs 32.3 p<0.0005) and cook exposures (GM=73.8 µg/m3 vs 28.6 p<0.0005). Significant reductions in headaches (46% to 9%; p<0.0005), eye problems (66% to 8%; p<0.0005), cook burns (25% to 3%; p<0.0005) and child burns (9% to 0%; p<0.0005) were observed after the loan. An increase in primary use of LPG was observed in the beneficiary community (46% to 55%) not seen in controls (67% to 67%).ConclusionSuccesses of this loan pilot included (i) a high level of repayment and LPG use, (ii) reductions in household air pollution, self-reported health symptoms and burns and (iv) increased community adoption of LPG. Fuel stacking remains an ongoing issue. The pilot has informed a second phase involving 800 homes across five regions of Cameroon.