10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Burn injuries are a significant public health concern, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a majority occurring in and around homes. Household-related burns are caused by activities involving cooking, heating, and lighting. Open flames from traditional stoves, three stone fires, hot liquids, and unstable set stoves increase the risk. Overcrowding, poor housing, and unsafe kitchen setups further heighten exposure. This study aimed to assess the occurrence, causes and the outcomes of household energy-related burns among patients treated at Moi Teaching and Referral hospital, Kenya. A hospital-based prospective study was conducted between June 2024 and December 2025. A total of 289 participants were interviewed using the WHO Burn Registry form. Descriptive statistics and the Kaplan Meier analysis were used. Out of 289 participants, children aged 0–5 years old were predominant, accounting for 177(61%). The proportion of burn injuries attributable to household energy was 273(94%), with 226 (78%) occurring during cooking. Most participants (55%) sustained burns involving 1–10% TBSA, while 17% had extensive burns affecting ≥30% TBSA, indicating a substantial burden of severe burn injuries. The arms were the most affected body part with 66% of the participants sustaining injuries on this area. Charcoal (36%) and wood (34%) accounted for a majority of the cases however, electricity and LPG contributed to the worst burn outcomes compared to wood and charcoal. Household energy-related burns were common among children and females. The median length of hospital stay was 30 days, IQR of 49 days. There was 26(9%) mortality, and 32(11%) permanent disability. From our findings, a large proportion of burn injuries were household energy-related and mostly caused by polluting fuels. Policies geared towards transitioning to safer household energy options and health education on burn injury prevention should be put in place.