Burning solid fuel indoors releases harmful chemicals and particles that present an acute health risk. These chemicals and particles can become lodged in the lungs when inhaled, leading to numerous respiratory problems including acute lower respiratory tract infections. One recent study has concluded that 4.6% of all deaths worldwide are attributable to acute lower respiratory tract infections caused by indoor fuel use (WHO 2006).
The Indoor Air indicator is a measure of the percentage of a country’s inhabitants using solid fuels indoors. The 2008 EPI uses data from WHO Country Profiles on the Environmental Burden of Disease, which capture exposure to indoor smoke risks. The data are adjusted to account for reported ventilation in each measured home to best estimate actual exposure (WHO methodology annex). The target for Indoor Air is set by expert judgment at zero, which reflects the opinion that any amount of solid fuel used indoors poses a significant risk to human health and is therefore considered undesirable. Many developed countries have already achieved this target, indicating that 100% coverage is not an unrealistic expectation.
