By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, Feb.02, GNA-Wife of Vice President Mahamdu Bawumia, Hajia Mrs Samira Bawumia, who doubles as Global Ambassador for United Nations’ Clean Cooking Alliance, has given assurance to women in Jamestown, a suburb of Accra that government is intensifying education on LPG use.
She gave the assurance during a tour of Jamestown as part of her campaign for cleaner, accessible and affordable energy sources for cooking.
She was accompanied on the tour by Michael Regan, the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA).
The tour was intended to provide the team with first-hand information on prevalent cooking methods and fuel sources being used by many of the women in the area for cooking.
The visit not only highlighted strong Ghana-United States relations but also reflected a shared dedication to promoting clean cooking, leading to improved public health and sustainable living.
Jamestown, with its rich cultural and historical significance, served as the ideal setting, reflective of a typical Ghanaian community, suitable for the exercise.
The area, known for its vibrant community, faced challenges with traditional cooking methods that often relied on less sustainable and unclean fuel sources, including charcoal, firewood, and tyres.
The delegation visited households, including two fish smoking facilities, a kenkey house and a banku joint; to observe the methods and fuels used in preserving fish and preparing meals.
In her interactions, Mrs Bawumia said: “Our women go through a lot of challenges to put food on the table, and cooking is the number one challenge.
“A lot of the non-communicable diseases are from unclean cooking, respiratory illness, blindness and all of that, so we’re committed to helping our women to help transition from firewood and charcoal to cleaner energy sources.”
Mrs Bawumia highlighted the importance of embracing more sustainable and health-friendly cooking practices.
“Our traditional cooking methods are an integral part of our culture. However, it is essential to balance this with the need for environmentally sustainable and healthy practices,” she stated.
Unclean cooking methods account for two-thirds (64%) of household air pollution.
In 2019, about two hundred and thirty-six thousand (236,000) newborn infants were estimated to have died of air-pollution-related causes in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the State of Global Air study.
Household air pollution accounts for an estimated four (4) million deaths every year.
In Africa, indoor air pollution caused 697,000 deaths in 2019.
The African Development Bank reports that the continent loses up to 2.4% of its GDP annually due to health problems caused by biomass cooking.
Mrs Bawumia, who also doubles as a champion of the World Health Organisation’s Health and Energy Platform for Action (HEPA), said the government was committed to increasing access to cleaner fuels through various programmes.
She mentioned the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) project.
The CRM is intended to resolve the challenge associated with the cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and make it accessible to the citizens, she stated.
The tour also involved a town hall discussion on alternative cooking methods and the potential for cleaner, more sustainable, and environmentally friendly fuel sources for the local population.
Other members of the delegation included Dr Henry Kokofu, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Ambassador Virginia Palmer, the US Ambassador to Ghana and the Chief Executive Mr Officer of the US National Association for Derrick Johnson, the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP).
At the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023, Mrs Bawumia and Ambassador Regan engaged in a fireside conversation hosted by the Clean Cooking Alliance to discuss the impact of unclean cooking on lives, livelihoods, and the environment, as well as the role of national governments in accelerating clean cooking solutions through deliberate programs and policies.
It is against this backdrop that Ambassador Regan and his team are in Ghana to ascertain firsthand, the traditional cooking practices prevalent in Ghana and how they could help improve it.
Mrs Bawumia, over the years, has been a relentless advocate for women’s wellbeing and children, through her not-for-profit organisation, the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP).
Through SEHP, she has supported about 8,000 pregnant women in the East Gonja Municipality, North East Gonja and Saboba Districts of Ghana with essential birth kits to prevent maternal and neonatal mortalities.
GNA