(2013-05-06) Keraka, M.; Ochieng, Carolyne; Engelbrecht, Jacobus; Hongoro, Charles
Introduction:
Indoor air pollution from biomass fuel use has been found to be responsible for more than 1.6 million annual deaths and 2.7%
of the global burden of disease. This makes it the second biggest environmental contributor to ill health, behind unsafe water and sanitation.
Methods:
The main objective of this study was to investigate if there was any association between use of bio-fuels in food catering enterprises and respiratory health of the workers. A cross-sectional design was employed, and data collected using Qualitative and quantitative techniques.
Results:
The study found significantly higher prevalence of respiratory health outcomes among respondents in enterprises using biomass fuels compared to those using processed fuels. Biomass fuels are thus a major public health threat to workers in this sub-sector, and urgent intervention is required.
Conclusion:
The study recommends a switch from biomass fuels to processed fuels to protect the health of the workers