​HOW IT AFFECTS​

Energy poverty has the most significant impact on human health. Energy poverty has the highest impact when families are completely deprived of electricity. Two factors could lead to the complete deprivation of electricity; the absence of grid-connectivity methods such as powerlines, or the high costs associated with the purchase/usage of grid-connected electricity itself. Either way, when people are completely deprived of energy, they are forced to use various air-polluting substances or materials to make fire for light or cooking. This becomes a severe health issue as indoor air pollution leads to many diseases.

According to the World Energy Outlook study of 2011, approximately 1.3 billion people, or 18.57% of the world population, have no access to clean grid-connected electricity. Another census on indoor air pollution carried out in September 2011 by the World Health Organization indicated that approximately 3 billion people, or about 42.8% of the world population, who lack clean sources of energy, cook, heat, or light their homes using fires and leaky stoves burning wood, animal dung, crop waste, or coal. Of these people, nearly 2 million people die prematurely from illnesses attributable to indoor air pollution, with nearly 50% of pneumonia deaths among children under five due to inhaling particulate matter from indoor air pollution.

The above map by a WHO study in 2002 shows regional deaths from indoor air pollution (IAP) in the year 2000. Source: World Health Organization/Licensing.​

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On the other hand, high cost of electricity due to expensive fossil-fuel sources, also leads to people and communities voluntarily giving up on grid-connected electricity supplies.

 

 

 

References:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs292/en/
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2096602,00.html