Mr Eric Banye, SNV Country Programme Coordinator in Ghana, said in Ghana over 80 per cent of households continue to rely on solid fuels (wood and charcoal) for cooking; adding that about 13,700 deaths occur annually resulting from indoor air pollution from the use of unsustainable fuels and inefficient stoves.

He said sadly, majority of the victims of the household air pollution were women and children.

Mr Banye said unfortunately, Ghana was confronted with the poor dissemination of clean and sustainable energy technologies, due to inadequate regulatory framework, inadequate financing schemes to support clean cooking, and inadequate public awareness on the benefits of clean cooking technologies compounded by uncoordinated research and development.

He said despite the fact that government recognises these challenges and has instituted programmes over the years aimed at reducing the use of these inefficient cookstoves; a lot more needs to be done and once again in a more collaborative way.

Mr Banye made the appeal in his presentation at the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation’s Voice for Change (V4C) Partnership Programme Learning Event in Accra.

The V4C Partnership Programme is an evidence based advocacy programme implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organization in partnership with the International Food and Policy Research Institute with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The programme focuses on generating evidence and building the capacity of Civil Society Organisations in the following thematic areas such as Renewable Energy, Food and Nutrition Security and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

Mr Banye called on government to increase investment in the critical issues of malnutrition, sanitation and clean cooking.

On access to off-grid electrification Mr Banye said with over 80 per cent electrification rate, Ghana was ranked among countries with the highest national electrification rate in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He said nonetheless, there were still many island and remote communities that lack access to grid electricity for productive use in homes and businesses.

Mr Banye said the challenges of extending grid power to these communities include lack of infrastructure, high cost of laying underwater cables from the nearest grid facilities, willingness of the communities to accept and pay for mini grids; stating that “but certainly we cannot ignore them. There is, therefore, the need to explore alternatives.”

“The V4C is and will continue to provide evidence and alternatives options for investment to ensure the remaining 20 per cent without electricity as we as the part of the 80 per cent with electricity will have access to cheaper versions.”

He said the V4C was built on partnership and SNV and the partners CSOs could not do it alone, we wish to call on all interested partners to support and work towards a collaborative effort.

He said the V4C seeks to generate the evidence, mobilise key stakeholders for an inclusive approach to addressing high malnutrition and high post-harvest loss making farming looks more like a punishment done a business.

Others are poor sanitation leading to more complicated health challenges and reducing the over dependence on traditional cooking system with its effect on health and environment to improve Cookstoves.

He said electricity was equally a right; hence “we need more focus on off-grid electrification for many rural overseas communities”.

The dignitaries, who graced the occasion include Mrs Patricia Appiagyei, Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; Mr Ron Strikker, the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana; and Dr Andre de Jager, the Managing Director, Agriculture, SNV.