Ghana’s Second Lady, Her Excellency, Mrs Samira Bawumia, a champion of clean and safe cooking methods, is on the WHO list of eminent personalities and global icons, for advocacy on the use of clean energy in both domestic and medical facilities.
Upon assumption of her official role in 2017, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, set sights on improving lives by broaching areas that had very little publicity. Ghana had the new dawn when campaign on the theme resonated.
Yet, there is still more to be done, given the greater mobilisation effort by the World Health Organisation, (WHO).
Though Ghana had established its chapter of the Clean Cooking Initiative by 2014, it is believed the far-reaching voice of Mrs Samira Bawumia will make the difference in both awareness creation and actual adoption of clean fuel and cooking stoves. Unsafe energy could be likened to hideous insects that gnaw at the core of livelihoods in silence. It takes a conscious campaign to create the necessary ambience and the alert on unsafe energy. As it pitches its invaluable platform for ideas, the global health body remains resolute within the teething challenges on the planet.
It believes that, the continued advocacy by Ghana’s second lady and other significant voices around the world, will bring the subject home. At all levels of the implementation process, three important organs, the political force, the investor community and public interest, will be indispensable. Having participated in the first meeting of the coalition in Geneva last July, the second invitation on her by WHO is even more paramount as deliberations enter the crucial phase.
The coalition members are expected to present country initiatives toward use of clean, energy efficient cook-stoves and for uptake of same sources for electrification of health-care facilities.
Environmentally friendly energy is in the high notches of global campaigns in the wake of climate change. Fossil fuel, largely regarded as dirty energy, thus destructive to the planet and harmful to humans, include coal, oil, unsustainable bio-energy and waste-to-energy. The mining, exploration, transportation and the inherent dangers in fossil fuel, inform this drastic shift.
Renewable energy sources such as nuclear, solar and wind are the safest.
In its latest meeting to assess health risks inherent in unsafe energy use in households, and medical facilities, the WHO will receive concrete action plans, from which it will draw the framework, becoming the bedrock of country specific initiatives
Mrs Samira Bawumia is expected to leverage her position to bring to limelight the importance of safe cook-stoves. Again, in partners with stakeholders, she will have to galvanize the system towards the goal of universal adoption of clean cook-stoves and safer fuels in Ghana.