(Ecofin Agency) - Primitive cooking methods fueled by wood, animal dung, or agricultural residues cause the premature deaths of 600,000 people in Africa annually due to respiratory diseases linked to inhaling toxic particles.

Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), announced yesterday the disbursement of $2 billion to facilitate access to clean cooking solutions across Africa over the next decade. He was speaking during the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, organized by the AfDB and the International Energy Agency (IEA), and held in Paris.

According to Adesina, this commitment represents 20% of the bank's annual financing for the energy sector. The summit also saw Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store pledge $50 million to the cause, in the presence of some twenty African heads of state and government, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), and the President of Azerbaijan, which will host the next UN Climate Change Conference.

Moreover, the European Union (EU) promised a funding of €400 million ($431 million). According to recent data released by the ADB, over 900 million people in Africa still lack access to clean cooking solutions and rely on woody biomass or fossil fuels.

The use of primitive cooking systems is not only responsible for the premature deaths of 600,000 people annually on the African continent due to respiratory diseases but also contributes to 3% of greenhouse gas emissions.