COVID-19 and biomass in Peru: Between need and risk

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: COVID-19 AND BIOMASS IN PERU: BETWEEN NEED AND RISK

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Authors: Franco E León-Jiménez, Maribel A Díaz-Vásquez, Rosa J Díaz-Manchay, Jimmy F Malca-Díaz, Virgilio E Failoc-Rojas

Location: Revista Del Cuerpo Médico Hospital Nacional Almanzor Aguinaga Asenjo, ISSN 2227-4731, Vol. 14, Nº 1, 2021, pgs. 110-111

The use of biomass for domestic use is still a challenge for public health as it generates indoor contamination. Evidence indicates that rural residents with exposure to biomass are at increased risk of respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Worldwide, approximately 3 billion people do not have access to clean cooking fuels. An example of this is India: 50% of households continue to use polluting solid fuels to meet their energy needs, including cooking. In Peru, as of October 2017, 1 million 751 thousand 433 households used solid fuels for cooking (21.2% of all registered households in the country), 70.1% in rural areas. The use of this fuel in our country is currently a very worrying reality.