The wife of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, Samira Bawumia will address the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) High-Level Coalition on health and energy, on Friday, in Geneva, Switzerland.

The coalition known as the Health and Energy Platform of Action (HEPA) is convened by the Director General of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to accelerate universal access to clean and sustainable energy as a means to ensuring good health.

This meeting, therefore, seeks to drive practical solutions by mobilising public support, political action and investments and reinforcing the collaboration between the health and energy sectors.

The maiden meeting was held virtually, last year, culminating in the unanimous endorsement of the strategic roadmap to promote healthier populations through clean and sustainable energy.

This year, the coalition is expected to discuss and identify concrete actions to accelerate clean cooking and electrification of healthcare facilities in countries, acting on the priorities identified in the strategic roadmap, last year.

The coalition is composed of two Health and Energy champions, including Samira Bawumia, 12 Ministers of Health and Energy from across the world, and 14 heads of international organisations including UNICEF, UNHCR, GAVI and UNDP.

Mrs Bawumia, a champion of the coalition, over the years, has raised awareness about household air pollution caused by unclean cooking energy, including the burning of wood fuels, and has advocated tirelessly for the adoption of clean energy solutions, at many global conferences.

In 2019, she was one of seven leaders at Seven For 7, hosted by SEforAll, an international organisation launched by former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to drive action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and the Paris Agreement; in partnership with Ashden, a London-based charity focused on improving lives, through sustainable energy and development.