Scientific study finds better health in households using improved cookstoves in Rwanda

Berlin/Leipzig. Efficient stoves not only reduce CO₂ emissions and conserve valuable resources, but their use also leads to better indoor air quality and potentially reduces health risks, especially for women. This is shown in a study conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Buana e.V., and Safer Rwanda, which has now been published in the journal Scientific Reports from the Nature Portfolio. The study compares air quality and health effects of efficient stoves and traditional cooking methods in rural communities in Rwanda. It was supported by atmosfair, a German non-profit organization supporting offsetting of CO₂ with projects such as the production and distribution of improved cookstoves. The study was funded by Chiesi Onlus Foundation.

The three-year randomized controlled trial involved over 1,000 adults in rural areas of Rwanda. Researchers compared health outcomes between households using  traditional cooking methods  and those adopting the Save 80 improved cookstove. Participants underwent two rounds of assessment, including health questionnaires and lung function tests. In addition, researchers measured household air pollution levels, focusing on harmful particles, i.e., particulate matter (PM_2.5) and its toxic components such as black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The research team showed that adult women using the Save 80 cookstove spent less time cooking (avg. reduction of 34%) and breathed far cleaner air compared to households using traditional cooking techniques, with indoor fine particle levels dropping by 77%. Black carbon and brown carbon, which are harmful pollutants linked to respiratory disease, also decreased by up to 50% and 78%, respectively.

Users of Save 80 stoves reported fewer respiratory symptoms, like persistent cough and mucus production, and showed slower declines in lung function over time compared to those using traditional cooking methods. “Our findings underscore the significant impact of clean cooking, particularly on women, who bear the burden of household air pollution through daily cooking activities,” says Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, researcher from the Atmospheric Microphysics Department at TROPOS.

Around 2.3 billion people in the world use unsafe and polluting cooking methods like open fires or rudimentary stoves, exposing families to unsafe levels of smoke and particulate matter. This indoor air pollution is a significant contributor to respiratory diseases in adults and children. “Household air pollution is a silent killer in many low-income settings”, says Dr. Henning Kothe from Buana e.V., who supervised the health assessment component of the research project.

The findings of this study may support broader adoption of cleaner cooking solutions in Rwanda and similar settings. The study provides a valuable resource for policymakers and global health advocates seeking effective strategies to combat household air pollution. “This was a unique opportunity to measure the health effects of a defined exposure. This is an important step in our research and will also help to better understand the effect of air pollution on health in other regions”, says Prof. Dr. Mira Pöhlker, head of the Atmospheric Microphysics Department at TROPOS, who supervised the air pollution measurements.

"I am very pleased with these results. The study shows that our stove projects not only protect the climate but also help to improve living conditions in our project countries," said atmosfair CEO Dietrich Brockhagen. atmosfair is strongly committed to the introduction of cleaner cooking solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, with own production plants and distribution networks in Nigeria and Rwanda. As a climate protection organization, its main focus is on reducing CO₂ emissions, which is ensured among other approaches through stove constructions that consume 80% less wood for cooking than traditional methods. At the same time, atmosfair projects are designed to support social, health and economic development in countries of the Global South where people suffer the most from climate change.

The full study is published in Scientific Reports from Nature Portfolio (doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09863-6).