Indoor air pollution (IAP) caused approximately 3.2 million deaths worldwide in 2020. Nearly a third of the global population uses open fires or inefficient stoves without ventilation, worsening IAP. In rural Nepal, firewood is the main source for cooking and heating, exposing women and the youngest children to high levels of pollutants. The Awasuka program installed improved kitchens—comprising chimney, hood, and stove (CHS)—in rural households in Bhimphedi. This study evaluates the short‐term effect of this intervention on IAP and women′s health. A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 210 women from 105 CHS and 105 non‐CHS households. Health, environmental and sociodemographic data were also collected using structured, validated questionnaires. Additionally, 10 sensor nodes were deployed to monitor indoor levels of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and CO 2 , collecting data 1 month before and after CHS installation in 10 selected houses. Results show that women in non‐CHS households reported significantly more episodes of fever, headache, eye irritation, migraines, and heart disease ( p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression revealed higher odds of reporting any acute symptom (aOR 9.6 2.9–43.4), migraines (aOR 3.4 1.7–6.8), and heart disease (aOR 5.8 1.1–36.4) among these women. Sensor data collected from the homes revealed substantial reductions in indoor PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and CO 2 levels post‐CHS installation. Daily exposure above hazardous thresholds decreased significantly: from 5.3 to 1.3 h for PM 2.5 , from 4.9 to 1.0 h for PM 10 , and from 4.3 to 0.4 h for CO 2 . All three pollutants showed significant reductions in area under the exposure curve. CHS installations significantly reduce IAP and this is linked to women′s health. In firewood‐reliant rural settings, CHS offers a sustainable, culturally adapted, health‐enhancing alternative to traditional cooking methods.
Masferrer et al. (Thu,) studied this question.