Ghana is hosting a four-day global meeting, which aims at working towards the achievement of standardisation for clean cook-stoves for the protection of the health, especially of women and children in developing countries.

The meeting is being organised by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) in Accra.

Experts from across the globe are attending the workshop, which seeks to look at how to harmonise standards for cook-stoves and strategies on how to remove trade barriers for these products and make cooking safe for those who traditionally use solid fuel for cooking.

Dr Eugene Adarkwa-Addae, the Deputy Executive Director of the GSA, stated at the opening session on Tuesday, that indoor air pollution associated with traditional cook-stoves and open fires had been identified as one of the world’s most pressing health problems.

He said it is, therefore, an important and cost-effective area for global health investment and focus.

Statistics, he said, showed that about three billion people globally were cooking on open fires or using dirty and dangerous fuel for cooking and this killed about four million people every year from illnesses caused by excessive smoke inhalation.

Dr Adarkwa-Addae said as the discussions progressed, the experts would also consider issues such as the type of fuel, the stove itself and the pricing, to ensure efficiency, safety, low emissions of carbon dioxide and affordability.

He said it was important for governments and policy makers to appreciate and understand the benefits of clean cook-stoves, not only to prevent environmental pollution, but also to enhance the health of women and children who for the most vulnerable groups.

Dr Adarkwa-Addae said the regular use of unsafe gadgets and tools to prepare meals had also been linked to millions of annual injuries and deaths globally, demonstrating the pressing need for effective criteria for clean, safe, and efficient cook-stoves.

He said the meeting was, therefore, part of the International Organisation for Standardisation’s (ISO) effort to develop standards in the field of cook-stoves and cooking solutions for people who traditionally use solid fuel for cooking.

To achieve its objectives, the ISO established the Technical Committee 285

(TC 285) to work towards the achievement of international consensus while providing opportunities for focused technical discussions, he said.

Dr Adarkwa-Addae said the ISO TC 280 provided the Government, industry and organisations around the world the opportunity to become involved in the process of designing, implementing and updating standards dealing with clean cook-stoves.

He said the opportunity provided would help reduce household pollution and related diseases, thereby improving the health condition of women and children, especially, in developing countries and drastically reduce the risk of house fires.

He said participants would also finalise a draft for global standards for cook-stoves to set a criteria for assessing a good cook-stove in conformity to the ISO standards.

Dr Adarkwa-Addae said Ghana had made significant headway since it started spearheading the campaign for the use of improved cook-stoves and the evidence could be clearly seen in the gradual acceptance and use of alternative cook-stoves by domestic and commercial food venders, as well as in educational institutions across the country.

He said this did not stop the GSA from pursuing its agenda for the standardisation of cook-stoves.