The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced this week that, with the support of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it is funding a $30.5 million multi-country trial aimed at preventing and managing lung diseases.
“Indoor air pollution caused by cookstoves is one of the top health risks in developing countries, causing deaths from low birth weight among babies, pneumonia in young children, and heart and lung problems in adults,” NIH Director Francis Collins said. “By working with our global partners on alternative fuel solutions, we have an opportunity to reduce that risk significantly for millions of people.”
The trial will examine possible widely available, clean fuel alternatives that can help reduce deaths and illnesses from pollution -- especially in women and children who suffer the greatest exposure.
Specifically, the study will take a look at cookstoves that run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), analyzing whether these devices improve air quality enough to provide health benefits in real-world situations.
“By working together on pressing global health issues such as indoor air pollution, we can share ideas, leverage resources, accelerate discovery and build international networks of scientists and communities that together are better able to produce solutions that benefit us all,” Fogarty Director Dr. Roger Glass said.
