Dr. Richard Bright Danyoh of the Ghana Paediatric Association has issued a strong warning about the dangers of traditional cooking methods, equating the health impact to smoking multiple cigarettes daily.
Speaking at a climate dialogue held at Jamestown today under the theme “Nationally Determined Contributions: Clean Cooking,” Dr. Danyoh shared alarming insights on the health risks associated with cooking using traditional methods like firewood and charcoal.
He highlighted a crucial statistic from the World Health Organisation, explaining that daily exposure to smoke from these cooking methods is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes every day.
“If you’ve spent years cooking with these methods, just think of how much damage that has done to your body,” he said.
Dr. Danyoh emphasised that the health risks go far beyond mere smoke irritation. He pointed to serious conditions such as cataracts, lung cancer, and even breast cancer.
He also stressed the impact on pregnant women, saying, “You could suffer from hypertension during pregnancy, develop anaemia, or in some cases, even lose your baby.”
He urged health professionals to take an active role in raising awareness: “As health workers, we need to use what we know. We must talk about the benefits of clean cooking in our communities, at our workplaces, and in languages people understand. We must make this issue real and relatable.”
In his call to action, Dr. Danyoh asked everyone to reflect on their own homes: “How well ventilated is your kitchen? Where does the smoke go? If you’re unsure about the dangers, go to a traditional kitchen and look at the black soot on the walls. That’s what’s happening inside your body.”
“And this is why we need to take clean cooking as a necessity and not a choice,” he concluded.
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