April 7th is World Health Day, and this year the @who chose the theme of "Healthy beginnings, Hopeful futures" which focuses on maternal and newborn health. Indoor air pollution poses a massive risk to mothers and their babies, but clean cookstoves lead to #hopefulfutures and #healthforall. That's why at Burn Design Lab, we're dedicated to designing high performing clean cookstoves and partnering with manufacturers who help get cookstoves into the hands of women who need them. Because we know the positive impact that clean cookstoves can have on women's health and the health of their children. For example, here in Ghana, women train with newly installed (and BDL designed) improved shea roasters, accompanied by their children. Improved shea roasters prevent these women from injury and smoke inhalation at their jobs at shea butter cooperatives. (fb)

The BDL engineering and testing team have been working hard in the lab researching ceramics for low-cost cookstove designs. The development of low-cost cookstoves, made from inexpensive materials like clay, is critically important in the field of clean cooking because millions of people who need clean cookstoves can't afford the majority of models available. The team is currently testing different material compositions, evaluating baseline stove designs, and looking at different for production and manufacturing at scale. (fb)