Promoting Advanced Cook Stoves through a Sustainable Partnership between a Micro Finance Institution and a Syndicated Distribution Network, 2012. USAID/India.
Arunesh Singh, Suma Pathy. Market-based Partnerships for Health, Abt Associates
India has one of the highest incidences of indoor air pollution (IAP), which account for over 440,000 deaths per year. Open cook stoves are a major contributor to IAP. In India, the majority of those exposed to IAP are women and children. IAP is associated with health hazards such as childhood acute lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, perinatal mortality, low birth weight, and cataracts. Use of Advanced Cook Stoves (ACS) is one of the primary means to reduce IAP. These clean
cooking devices are designed to reduce smoke emissions and save fuel through better combustion.
The aim of the MBPH ACS initiative was to work in partnership with key stakeholders, including the Government of India (GOI), ACS manufacturers, micro-finance institutions (MFIs), rural distribution networks, scientists and sector experts towards a common vision of increasing adoption of and access to ACS. By the end of the project, the inputs provided by the MBPH ACS initiative paved the way for an in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour with respect to ACS, provided insights into attributes of a workable distribution model, laid out potential consumer financing options and created an enabling regulatory environment for enhanced private sector participation in the ACS industry.
