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Enhancing LPG Adoption in Ghana (ELAG): A Trial Testing Policy-Relevant Interventions to Increase Sustained Use of Clean Fuels

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Carrión

    (Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA)

  • Rebecca Prah

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo, Ghana)

  • Theresa Tawiah

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo, Ghana)

  • Oscar Agyei

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo, Ghana)

  • Mieks Twumasi

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo, Ghana)

  • Mohammed Mujtaba

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo, Ghana)

  • Darby Jack

    (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA)

  • Kwaku Poku Asante

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo, Ghana)

Abstract

Rural Ghanaians rely on solid biomass fuels for their cooking. National efforts to promote the Sustainable Development Goals include the Rural Liquefied Petroleum Gas Promotion Program (RLP), which freely distributes LPG stoves, but evaluations have demonstrated low sustained use among recipients. Our study objective was to assess if cheap and scalable add-on interventions could increase sustained use of LPG stoves under the RLP scheme. We replicated RLP conditions among participants in 27 communities in Kintampo, Ghana, but cluster-randomized them to four add-on interventions: a behavioral intervention, fuel delivery service, combined intervention, or control. We reported on the final 6 months of a 12-month follow-up for participants ( n = 778). Results demonstrated increased use for each intervention, but magnitudes were small. The direct delivery intervention induced the largest increase: 280 min over 6 months ( p < 0.001), ~1.5 min per day. Self-reported refills (a secondary outcome), support increased use for the dual intervention arm (IRR = 2.2, p = 0.026). Past literature demonstrates that recipients of clean cookstoves rarely achieve sustained use of the technologies. While these results are statistically significant, we interpret them as null given the implied persistent reliance on solid fuels. Future research should investigate if fuel subsidies would increase sustained use since current LPG promotion activities do not.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Carrión & Rebecca Prah & Theresa Tawiah & Oscar Agyei & Mieks Twumasi & Mohammed Mujtaba & Darby Jack & Kwaku Poku Asante, 2021. "Enhancing LPG Adoption in Ghana (ELAG): A Trial Testing Policy-Relevant Interventions to Increase Sustained Use of Clean Fuels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-12, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:2213-:d:501727
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    References listed on IDEAS

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