Clean the Air Better for Newborns (CABiN): Reducing Exposure to HAP During Pregnancy in Sub-Saharan Africa
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Funded by Academy of Medical Sciences.
Collaboration with Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Cambridge, University of Cape Town, University of Malawi and University of Nairobi.
Cookstove replacement interventions to reduce exposure to household air pollution have been developed, but adherence been disappointing. Traditional methods of preparing food may require the use of open flames or smoky fuels to produce expected flavours and textures, which may reduce willingness to use less smoky alternative stoves. Even in interventions where stoves and fuel are provided for free, cost or availability of fuel may be a factor.
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) most household cooking is done by women, leading to a significantly higher level of exposure. Pregnant women continue to cook through pregnancy. Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during pregnancy is harmful to the foetus.
Maternal smoking in pregnancy is a serious cause of ill-health for children. Many expectant mothers quit smoking for the duration of their pregnancy, resuming smoking after birth. While this is not ideal for their own health, this reduces the risk of harm to their child. By analogy, pregnant women and their families may be more willing to accept a change in fuel type if it is explicitly intended to last only for the duration of a pregnancy.
Total award value £24,918.00