Maria Beard

In October 2013 I started a PhD studentship at the University of Nottingham with the aim to explore the incidence, severity and causes of cookstove burns in Malawi. The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves was formed by the United Nations Foundation, in order mobilise high-level national and donor commitments toward their goal of universal adoption of clean cookstoves, to combat air pollution and its associated illnesses. However, as indicated by the Alliance there remains to be a gap in the research in relation to burn injuries and the use of traditional and improved cookstoves. My research study hopes to help fill this gap by exploring the incidence, severity and causes of cookstove burns and related safety practices within Malawi.,The research design is still in the initial stage of development but the objectives are;, To identify what types of cookstoves are currently used within Sub-Saharan Africa. To explore the impact of existing preventative educational or technological strategies associated with the prevalence of burn related injuries and or illnesses., Identify potential barriers and enabling factors that might influence the choice of household cookstove and safety practices. Identify who in the house is most at risk of injury during cooking and heating,To identify if there is a relationship between the cook-stoves used with the rate and degree of burn injuries. I have also previously worked with First Aid Africa (a current member of the SMP) as a project coordinator for a Malawi initiative.