USAID, supported by MCH-STAR and
the Market-Based Partnerships for
Health (MBPH), held a technical consultation
on Advanced Cook Stoves for the
Improved Health of Women and Children
in India. This technical consultation
brought together leading global environmental
and public health experts and companies
that have worked extensively on advancing
and marketing cook stove technologies
appropriate to India. Highlights of
the consultation were addresses by
Timothy J. Roemer, Ambassador of the
United States of America and Dr. Farooq
Abdullah, Cabinet Minister for New
and Renewable Energy, Government of
India. USAID/India Mission Director,
Erin Soto opened the meeting and Deputy
Mission Director, Elizabeth Warfield
provided the closing remarks.
The consultation was a unique opportunity
to share cutting edge research on
the impact of indoor air pollution
on the health of women and children
and the consequent beneficial effects
of advanced cook stoves on health.
It also provided a space for constructive
retrospective analysis of lessons
learnt from past experiences in the
cook stove space and highlight current
challenges in the commercializing
advanced cook stoves.
The Keynote speaker, Dr. Kirk Smith,
Professor of Global Environmental
Health, University of California,
Berkeley, spoke on Household Fuels,
Indoor Air Pollution, and Health:
Impacts on Women and Children across
the Globe.
Jacob Moss, Senior Advisor on Energy
and Indoor Air Quality, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, moderated the plenary
on Indoor Air Pollution, Health
and the National Program on Improved
Chulhas in India. Speakers included
Dr. Kalpana Balakrishnan, Professor
and Head, Environmental Health Department,
Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai
and Dr. Hafeez Rehman, Social Transformation
Director, The Energy Research Institute.
The plenary on Enterprise-Based
Solutions was moderated by Jeroen
Blum, Director, Shell Foundation,
The Netherlands. Speakers included:
Rakesh Sharma, Senior Director Strategy
and Business Development, Philips
India Limited; Harish Anchan, Managing
Director, Envirofit India; Mahesh
Yagnaraman, Managing Director, First
Energy; and Dr. Mouhsine Serrar, CEO,
Prakti Design Lab.
S. Patara, Vice President, Development
Alternatives Group moderated the panel
on Demand Generation and
Distribution. Speakers included:
Anuradha Bhavnani, Shell Foundation
Advisor; Ashis Kumar Sahu, Chief Operating
Officer, SELCO Solar Pvt. Limited;
and Dr. Priya Darshani Karve, Project
Coordinator, Appropriate Rural Technology
Institute.
Parijat Ghosh, Global Account Manager,
the Monitor Group moderated the session
on Innovative Financing.
Speakers included: Ron Bills, Chairman,
Envirofit International; Eduardo C.
Ferreira, Associate, Environmental
Markets, JP Morgan; and K. Suresh,
Chairman, Grameen Koota.
Dr. Rajiv Tandon, Chief, Maternal
and Child Health, Nutrition, and Urban
Health Division, USAID/India, explored
Key Lessons Learned and the Way
Forward. Speakers included Dr.
Marta Levitt-Dayal, Chief of Party,
MCH-STAR and Anand Sinha, Country
Director, Market-based Partnerships
for Health (MBPH). Discussants included
Dr. Ambuj Sagar, Professor of Policy
Studies, Indian Institute of Technology,
Delhi, Dr. Kirk Smith, Dr. Hafeez
Rehman, and Jeroen Blum.
Will be updated shortly!
