Household air pollution from solid fuels such as wood, coal and dung remains a major global health threat, linked to lung cancer, heart disease and other serious conditions, according to a new international study. The research, part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 Household Air Pollution team, analysed exposure trends across 204 countries from 1990 to 2021.
While the use of polluting fuels has declined overall, exposure remains widespread, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, where clean alternatives like liquefied petroleum gas or electric stoves are often unaffordable. The study found that household air pollution is a key risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections, lung cancer and ischaemic heart disease.
Health effects are severe and often hidden, unfolding over years. Childhood exposure is linked to impaired cognitive development, respiratory vulnerability and long-term health disadvantages. The burden falls disproportionately on poorer regions, highlighting deep global inequities.
The study's authors call for accelerated access to clean fuels through improved infrastructure, subsidies and locally appropriate technologies. They also stress the importance of stronger health systems and data monitoring to identify at-risk communities and measure progress. Community engagement is crucial, as uptake improves when stoves fit local cooking styles and are introduced through trusted groups.
In December 2025, the UK government updated its environmental plan to tighten restrictions on wood-burning stoves, aiming to cut PM2.5 pollution. The researchers emphasise that clean cooking is not just an environmental issue but a matter of health equity, affecting millions of lives each year.
