Women have been urged to patronise improved, clean and efficient cookstoves to avoid illnesses like pneumonia, lung cancer, eye ailment and heart diseases.

Mr Frank Fabian Aidoo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Fablice Clean Cooking Energy and Stationeries Joint Venture, a subsidiary of World Education Inc. gave the advice at a Technology Demonstration Fair at Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

The Fablice Company organised the Fair together with Ghana Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and Fuels (GHACCO), on the theme: “Health Benefits of Using Improved and Efficient Cookstoves and Fuel.”

It was sponsored by GHACCO, through the World Education Inc. to create awareness among community members of the health hazards posed by using traditional cook stoves and fuels.

Mr Aidoo said research by the World Health Organisation and the Ghana Health Service indicates that 13,000 deaths occurred each year in Ghana as a result of household air pollution.

“This smoke generated from the traditional or unimproved cook stoves have caused so many air polluted illnesses,” he said.

Mr Aidoo said apart from the health implications; the use of traditional cook stoves had caused the depletion of the ozone layer and affected the climate, hence the need to use the improved, clean and efficient cookstoves and fuel.

He said the clean cookstoves and fuel produced less heat and made cooking comfortable and urged the public to patronise it to protect their health and the environment.

Currently, seven schools in the Municipality are benefiting from the clean cookstoves and fuel.

They are the Sapeiman, Kutunse, Odumase Amanfro, and Akotoshie M/A Junior High schools as well as the Acropolic Maranatha Academy- Fise, Nii Otto Kwame III Basic- Pokuase and Jesus and Mary School in New Ashiaman.